Placeholder
by KylieC6
Summary: Percy Jackson has life figured out-at least that's what people seem to think. After all, he's got the perfect girl, friends to live and die for, a bright future in a sport he loves, and the greatest mother to ever mother. So...maybe he does have things figured out after all. Yeah, that sounds about right. How could he not? Right?
1. Prologue

Okay, a few things to get out of the way:  
1) I haven't read a book in this series in yeaaars; just grew out of them, I guess. But what I haven't grown out of is the love I have for these characters. They're fascinating to me, and so easy to get attached to. I approach writing fanfiction as a writing exercise, a way to get creativity flowing with a kind of template already in place, so this cast of characters was the perfect choice for me. That said, I'm sure there are things that you will see as inconsistent with Rick Riordan's characters, that they might appear out of character, but again, this is a fun and exciting writing exercise for me, so I'm going to take liberties anyway, while still attempting to maintain the integrity of the characters.  
2) Sooo...I will be the first to admit that there are a few elements of this book that...don't quite make sense. One of them being that I have willfully overlooked the fact that cold seasons exist and in my world, swim season is in the fall. It's weird, yes, but you'll just have to exercise your suspense of disbelief on that one. *insert shrug face here*  
3) This book deals largely with anxiety and Percy's journey in coming to terms and dealing with it. There are graphic descriptions of anxiety attacks, so if that's triggering for you, contact me directly and I'll give you more details, but unless I'm convinced otherwise, this is all the warning you'll get.  
4) If there are any grammatical and/or spelling errors, PLEASE DRAW MY ATTENTION TO THEM. I edit religiously, but still errors slip through pretty consistently for me, so please let me know in the comments or message me directly where the error is! Also, if you have any thoughts or constructive criticism about other parts of the story line/events/characters, I'd love to hear what you have to say.  
5) I have the book maybeeee...75% written. I plan to update what I have every other week or weekly, depending on the response I get. So come back around here on Wednesdays to see if an update has come! I generally feel weird about updating works that I haven't completely finished writing yet, because I am a slow, sporadic writer, but with this particular work I really want the feedback, so please talk to me! Let me know what you think! Enjoy!

Prologue

"Dude, stop. Just, stop!" Leo yells from down the hall.

Percy trips and barely catches himself, his vision being obscured as he quickly tugs his shirt over his head. No easy feat, considering he's juggling his swim bag and school backpack at the same time. In his defense, he was only rushing to get out of the locker room because he knew three of his friends were waiting for him while he showered off after practice.

"Leo, what grave sin could I have possibly committed that offended your fragile ego?" Percy exaggerates exasperation, but ruins it by grinning.

Jason interjects loudly as a tired Percy makes his way down the echoing hall. "Is the apocalypse upon us? I mean, I know Annabeth is good, but the minute the monkey," Jason jerks his thumb at Percy, "starts sounding intelligent is the minute she should be given a Nobel Prize."

Percy groans his complaint. "Can't a guy catch a break? I've already suffered through six hours of school, I just came from a brutal two hour swim practice-and we had already hit the weight room this morning before school-and now I have to go study with people who obviously do not appreciate me sacrificing the happiness of my muscles to go kill some brain cells with them-don't look at me like that, Annabeth!"

The blonde in question purses her lips to rein in her smile before responding slowly in a sing-song voice. "I just think that if you're losing brain cells while studying, you might be doing it wrong. Maybe. Just a thought."

Having finally caught up to them, Percy grins widely as he squeezes himself in between Jason and Annabeth, kissing his girlfriend's cheek-Annabeth, not Jason-before playfully hooking his arms around both of their necks. As he pulls them toward the lunch tables where their other friends will be meeting them to study, he replies cheekily, "That's what you're for, Wise Girl!"

"Ick," Annabeth recoils from the droplets of water that flicked onto her shirt when Percy leaned in. "I love you, but I _didn't _just work out and do _not_ need a shower, thanks very much."

Percy grins even wider and shakes his head like a dog, effectively spraying Jason and Annabeth again with the water from his post-shower hair. "What, Annabeth's here to kill more of your brain cells?" Jason raises a sarcastic eyebrow after flinching away from the moisture.

It takes Percy a minute to realize that Jason is referencing his previous comment. "No, she's here to jam information into my brain that I'm going to forget two minutes later _because _of my lack of brain cells."

"Excuse me!" Leo is indignant from the other side of Annabeth. "I believe _I_ was making fun of Percy before I was rudely interrupted!"

"Hmm. Rudely interrupted before rudely mocking your friend. Ironic, don't you th-" Annabeth muses before being cut off by Leo.

"_Sssshhhh!"_

"What's Leo on about now?"

Percy sighs loudly in relief and hurries ahead of his friends to plop down on the bench across from Piper. "Nothing, Piper, Leo was not saying anything."

When Jason, Leo, and Annabeth catch up to Percy, all seven members of their little group have gathered to study for various tests. Hazel, Piper, and Frank are the other three that complete their ragtag group. Sat at the lunch table they're gathered at, Percy can't help but marvel at how big their school is. With over 4,000 students enrolled at Olympia High School, it's easy to get lost in the crowd. Percy and his friends are lucky to have been able to stake out one of the few lunch tables in the middle of the outdoor quad and claim it as their own.

With so many students, there really can't be a formal cafeteria. The kids just sit wherever there's space, really-in the halls, on the grass near Percy's table, on one of the benches scattered around campus. Another significant point of complaint about the school is the lack of lockers. Though, Percy will admit, it helps those with classes at opposite ends of campus keep in prime speedwalking shape, what with the extra weight of the _entire contents of their backpacks_.

Another result of the large population of enrollees at Olympia High is the higher level of competition in academics and sports, because of the larger sample size of talent. Percy feels incredibly lucky to be able to captain the swim team. His academic record isn't nearly as good as his athletic one, but he works hard to keep it a good few grade points above the baseline required for student athletes. Of course, he gets help from Annabeth. If not for her, Percy would not have made it through Junior year nearly as well as he did. He swears she has the patience of a saint...when she wants to, at least.

Still, everything had made for a stressful three years of school, and the buildup to this last crucial year before college weighs on Percy heavily. He'll have to balance work, school, sports, friends, and family-but he'll get through it, like he always does. Jason says Percy takes things too seriously, but he just can't afford _not_ to. He has to work hard for what he wants just like anyone else. And just like everyone else, he'll deal with stress and hardship as it comes.

"Percy! You're supposed to be listening when I mock you!"

Percy smiles widely. He has his friends, and they're all he needs to make it through the day.

_Life is good._


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

When he hears the honk outside, Percy quickly grabs his sports bag, flings his backpack over his shoulder, and rushes out the door.

"Bye, Percy! Love you!"

"Love you!" He throws a grin and quick wave back at his mother before running down the long driveway towards Jason's car. Percy and Sally Jackson rent a small one bedroom home owned by the couple living in the house in front of them. It is small, but cozy, and it's home. _Plus, _Percy thinks to himself with a smile, _sleeping on the pullout bed is better than the lumpy mattress from the last apartment...that, and it's just around the corner from Annabeth._

"Hey Jackson," Jason greets Percy as the latter jumps in the backseat of Jason's sensible Ford Focus.

"Grace," Percy returns the greeting, then smirks. "Is Valdez in the world of the waking yet?"

Percy hears some grumbling from the passenger seat that sounds something like, "Shzut up, Pershee."

All too familiar with this routine, Jason just shakes his head as he pulls away from the curb and starts towards Frank's house. Ever since Frank moved within Olympia High's borders and met Jason in their shared first period class, Jason added him to the morning pick-up route on the way to school. It's a funny tradition, but the boys of the group-Jason, Percy, Leo, and Frank-are carted to school by Jason, and the girls-Annabeth, Piper, and Hazel-are driven by Annabeth.

Percy supposes they're still helping the environment-using two cars instead of a whopping seven-but with Annabeth around the corner from Percy, and Piper next door to her, they really are using more gas than they needed by continuing their segregated carpooling tradition. Plus Annabeth had to drive halfway across the city to Hazel's house before backtracking to the school...also passing Frank's house in the process.

They _could _be doing worse, Percy affirms to himself.

"Hey, Frank, how's it going?" Percy greets the boy as he squeezes in the backseat on the passenger's side.

Jason throws an amused look over his shoulder, shaking his head. "Remind me again how the biggest guy got stuck in the most cramped spot in the car?"

Percy grins. "Why do we do anything anymore, dude? We're creatures of habit...that, and you pick me up after Leo, and I am most definitely not going to subject myself to that kind of cruel and unusual torture."

Frank rolls his eyes and shoots a good natured glare to the back of Leo's seat. "To be fair, it wouldn't be so cramped if Leo didn't recline his seat as much as possible."

"Gotta catch some last minute Zs, bro." His words are still slightly slurred, but Leo sits up and starts looking more awake. Though, Percy notes, his wildly curly hair doesn't look quite so awake. _But hey, naturally mussed is the new trend, right?_

Percy clicks his seatbelt free as Jason parks in the lot in front of the school. Just as Percy is about to open the door and get out, Jason says, "Wait!"

Everybody groans loudly and voices their complaints at that.

"Dude, it's fine!"

"You're not an old man, J, you don't have to pull in and out five times _at the speed of molasses!_"

"Jasonnnn!"

Huffing exasperatedly, Percy settles in for five extra minutes of Jason pulling in and out of the same parking spot at least six times to perfect his parking job. He claims it's so that his car doesn't get dinged by the surrounding cars, but everyone knows it's more about Jason being a perfectionist than anything else. It does fit with his "perfect golden boy" image, but that doesn't mean any of them have to like it.

Once they're finally free, Percy and his friends walk up to the front of the school where the girls are already waiting and whispering about something.

When Piper glances over, she lights up and twiddles her fingers at her boyfriend with a smirk on her face. "Hey Speed Racer, I'm surprised you left your car parked slightly closer to the right than the left today."

Jason freezes and looks like he's actually thinking about going back and fixing it. Hazel, self-appointed peacemaker and one of the sweetest people Percy knows, laughs at Jason. "You did fine, Jason. No one is going to judge you for your parking job."

Unable to help himself, Percy settles himself next to Annabeth and nudges her shoulder with his own, and mutters, "Even if it is a little crooked."

The bell for first period rings, and Percy pretends not to hear Jason yelling as he walks Annabeth to her first period class with his hand in hers.

"_I heard that Jackson!"_

**:::::**

In classic film class four hours later, Percy nearly has a heart attack when Annabeth pokes him in the stomach. "Percy!" She scolds in a whisper. "We have to write a paper on this later. No daydreaming on the job, Seaweed Brain."

The stern look on Annabeth's face as she side eyes him makes Percy grin lopsidedly back at her. "Come on, you're not telling me that you've actually _enjoyed _the last three days of _Gone in the Dust."_

Annabeth rolls her eyes and elbows him. "First of all, it's _Gone With the Wind,_ and I find Scarlett to be a very interesting and strong character. She's incredibly flawed, but her tenacity and hard working nature makes her-"

Annabeth cuts herself off when she sees Percy's eyes glaze over. Trying to look exasperated, she lets her head thump onto Percy's shoulder, shaking her head against his shirt. "What am I going to do with you, Seaweed Brain?"

Slinging a casual arm over his best-friend-turned-girlfriend's shoulder, he nudges her until she lifts her head and looks at him. "Help me write my response paper?"

Annabeth looks at Percy sternly and opens her mouth to scold him, but her mouth softens a little at his wide eyes and pouting lips. "Fine," she mutters. "I will help brainstorm and proofread it for you, but that's as far as I'll go. And you have to feed me."

Percy grins widely. Normally Annabeth has an iron will and a penchant for lecturing, but Percy always did know how to get her to soften up. Of course, he doesn't abuse that power. Very often.

"Man, as much as you two make me wanna barf, I gotta say, you're better entertainment than this _Lost in the Breeze _movie."

Annabeth scowls and turns around to lecture Leo, who Percy is sure deeply regrets opening his mouth. And he probably regrets even more the choice he and Percy made to pick this elective, thinking it would be an easy A...how hard could it be to watch movies for an hour every day? _Very_ hard apparently. But Percy and Leo do appreciate the fact that the teacher gets so absorbed in the movies that he doesn't care if they whisper to each other.

And...Percy may have had other motives as well, he considers as he looks over at the gray eyed beauty sitting under his arm.

Unable to focus on the movie, Percy's thoughts drift off again. Annabeth and Percy used to get comments all the time about how they would make such a great couple, or how boys and girls can't be such close friends without something more, or being mistaken for a couple. The two of them had been friends since second grade, when Percy was in danger of being held back a year for not being up to standard in reading and writing. He had never really been good at school-even with how short his school career had been at that point-but reading and writing were especially hard. With dyslexia and ADHD, the words got all jumbled and he couldn't focus long enough to sort them out. Once, as he was struggling through reading time in class, the little blonde girl next to him whispered, "I love that book!"

A young and unsure Percy shifted uncomfortably. "Oh...uh. I haven't really read a lot of it...yet."

Quirking an eyebrow, the perceptive young girl studied the boy as she spoke. "Sometimes it's hard for me to read because I have dys-lex-ia," she sounds out. "but it helps when my mama reads with me."

Shyly, Percy looked up at her through a swath of his dark hair. "Oh. Um...do you think you could help me?"

And here they are ten years later, closer than either of them could have ever imagined, and finally openly in love.

Percy smiles faintly. As children, they argued just as much as they laughed, though the two could stay angry at each other for a few hours at most. As they grew older, the arguments turned to affectionate teasing. Somewhere in the middle, the teasing became flirting and the affection started to have a charged undercurrent that hadn't been there before. Still, it took them until the summer before Junior year-about a year and a half ago-to finally admit their feelings to each other and start officially dating.

Piper and Jason love to brag about how they had been together for four years, starting less than a year after Piper moved to the area. Percy was teased endlessly for taking so long to have the guts to ask Annabeth out, and Jason soaked up the praise that inevitably followed. Percy shakes his head just thinking about it; the kid certainly knew what he wanted and wasn't afraid to go after it, that was for sure.

Again, Percy nearly falls off his seat when the bell signaling the beginning of lunch sounds. "Someone's jumpy today."

Percy grins at Leo, standing and stretching. "What, you weren't just _enraptured_ with _Away at the Tornado_? I was so distracted with Sara O'Harry that I never wanted the class to end."

Annabeth huffs loudly, speed-walking away from them. Just before she exits the room and enters the already bustling hall, she graces them with an indignant response thrown over her shoulder. "We both know you're doing that on purpose now, and your lack of creativity is more offensive than your mockery of one of my favorite casts of characters."

Percy slouches at the chastisement and pouts. Leo just chuckles, shouldering past him and imitating Annabeth as he approaches the door. "We both know you're in the dog house now, Percykins, so you better up your lovey-dovey game." He pauses. "Oh yeah, and you'd better do something grand and _creative_. Nothing cliche for the blonde beauty."

Groaning, Percy hikes his backpack onto his shoulder and trudges in the direction of Leo's echoing laughter. In the hopes of not acting too much like he did in kindergarten, Percy tries to rein in his scowl as he walks down the hall to where he can see two heads of curls-one soft and blonde and the other dark and wild. When he finally reaches them, Percy bear hugs Annabeth, making them both stumble back a few steps. "Annabee," he whines, "Leo is making fun of me."

Escaping his admittedly strong embrace, Annabeth smacks her boyfriend's arm and dances out of reach. "Well maybe he wouldn't tease so much if you didn't make yourself such an easy target, Seaweed Brain."

The smile on her face and the airy tone to her voice keep any sharpness out of the words, so Percy is not bothered. Sneaking a sideways glance at Leo, Percy stage whispers back to Annabeth. "Come on, Annabeth, we all know the real reason he's being meaner than usual is because he's been rejected by three girls in a row now. He has to release his frustration somehow."

Trying to suppress laughter, Annabeth rolls her lips into her mouth. Unamused, Leo huffs and jogs the last few steps to their designated lunch table where Piper and Hazel are already sitting. "Piper, would you please inform Percabeth that I am shunning them indefinitely?"

Piper rolls her eyes. Before she can make some sarcastic remark, Hazel preemptively smiles her sympathy at Leo. Eyes dancing with humor, she coos, "I'm sure it wasn't that bad, Leo. How was classic film?"

Leo just groans dramatically and sprawls his arms across the table. Mumbling into the chipped paint of the table, he pouts, "I don't wanna talk about it."

Wincing, Hazel pats his back twice in a maternal gesture and Piper shakes her head at the gesture. "Hazel, you know you don't have to feed into his dramatics, right? It only makes it worse. Besides, he's probably only grumpy because he's jealous of Percy for being able to actually get a girl."

Leo lifts his head just enough to narrow his eyes at Piper, staring her down as he speaks to Hazel. "Hazel, dear, would you please inform Piper that she is now on my shun list?"

Jason appears out of nowhere and nudges Piper over to make room for him. Dumping his bag on the floor next to him, he jerks his chin at Leo. "He feeling inferior to Percy again?"

Ignoring Leo's loud groaning that sounds vaguely like "shunned", Piper responds with a smirk. "Can you really blame him though? Annabeth is one hot piece of woman."

Laughing, Jason pecks Piper's cheek in a belated greeting and looks at Percy as he digs his lunch out of his backpack. "Dude, remember when Leo asked out Annabeth right in front of you?"

Percy grumbles and pulls Annabeth close to him-and conveniently away from Leo, who is sitting in his designated spot on the other side of Annabeth-with a possessive arm around her waist. "Which time?"

The whole table laughs and Percy spares Leo a quick glance. The poor kid had gone through a _long _phase where he relentlessly pursued Annabeth-who was, admittedly, one _hot _piece of woman. Percy, who was still decidedly in the pining-silently-mostly-self-inflicted-friend zone at the time, had not been amused. To make matters worse, he and Leo already had a sketchy history to begin with. Leo was Jason's best friend long before Jason and Percy had gotten close. Not too excited to have competition, Leo only ever treated an indifferent Percy with disdain. It was extremely infuriating to Leo that Percy was so unbothered by his attempts to shoo him away. In short, it had not gone over well when the Jason/Leo duo merged with the Percy/Annabeth duo.

Percy suspects that it was partly due to this-mostly one sided-rivalry that Leo took it upon himself to seduce Annabeth no matter how long it took.

After that, the rivalry wasn't so one sided anymore.

Noticeably perked up by the mention of Percy's favorite blonde, Leo gives Annabeth a side eyed look of smoulder. "Come on, babe. You think I'm a little bit hot."

Percy clears his throat loudly and not-so-subtly shoves Leo off the bench from with the hand that had been secured around Annabeth's waist. Looking over casually, Percy lifts an eyebrow. "Leo, you should be more careful. The wind can blow pretty hard around here. Wouldn't want your dainty frame being blown over and getting hurt again."

The whole table laughs as Leo stands and brushes himself off, grumbling all the way. Percy grins to himself, feeling very satisfied. At this point, the whole "jealous of Percy" charade is just a running gag amongst the group of friends. Leo and Percy had long since put aside their differences, and instead of showing disdain, their arguing became more of a show of affection. Not that either of them would ever admit that.

"Hey, speaking of frames that can be blown over," Annabeth interjects, "where's Frank?"

Percy smiles crookedly at the irony. Frank is by no means in danger of injury from a gust of wind. Having filled out and toned up recently, the reserved teen has gained a lot of confidence, and with it, excels at his newly earned position on the Varsity football team...which only bulked him up further.

Percy is brought back to the present when he feels Annabeth's probing gaze on him. Furrowing his brows at her, Percy flickers his eyes between hers. "You okay?" He asks quietly.

That puts a soft smile on her face, though she rolls her eyes all the same. "I asked you that about a minute ago when you were off in lala land for the fiftieth time today."

Laughing lightly, he reaches over to run his hand up and down her arm a few times. "I'm good, Annabee." Then he grins and winks at her. "As long as you still think I'm hotter than Leo, it's all good."

Shrugging nonchalantly, she looks forward and takes a bite of her sandwich with a funny smile on her face. Percy narrows his eyes at her for a long moment, and when he works through his disbelief, he speaks slowly and clearly. "Annabeth Chase. Do you mean to tell me that you think Leo-_Leo Valdez_-is more attractive than your loving boyfriend?"

Annabeth only spares Percy a mischievous glance, before smirking and joining the conversation about Frank working on a chemistry lab.

Dumbfounded, Percy stares at his girlfriend of nearly two years with his mouth parted.

Hazel, having seen much of the exchange between the couple, represses amused laughter and pats Percy's hand with a rather patronizing look on her face. "Don't worry Perce, Annabeth can't help that she has a thing for brown eyes."

Eyes bugging out, Percy splutters, "_Hazel?!" _Percy isn't even sure if it's a question or an exclamation. "When did you get so..._sassy_?"

Hazel laughs with mirth in her eyes and shrugs. "I've known you for like, four years, Percy, and the rest of you all for three. The odds of me being corrupted were too high to resist."

Percy can't help but laugh at this. At first, Percy only knew Hazel through her younger brother, Nico. Once Percy had been introduced to Nico's shy, quiet sister, they became fast friends. Still thoroughly dumbfounded, Percy rests his head on a fist and tries to comprehend what exactly just happened...and how it happened...and _when..._

"Percyyyyy!"

Percy awakens from his brief but heavenly nap to a horizontal face arranged in a terrifying and somewhat disturbing expression. Rearing back, Percy would have fallen flat on his back if Jason hadn't balanced him and given Percy a hand to help him up off the bench.

Percy hadn't realized how tired he'd been. To express his frustration, Percy moans, sulky, and a little grumpy. "Piper, I love you and all, but I do not really enjoy waking up to your face like..._that."_

She just laughs and walks backwards away from him. _Huh, _Percy thought drowsily, _I guess lunch ended while I was sleeping. _"Love you too, Perce! You know I've got your back. Wouldn't want you to be late to fifth!"

Jason grins and claps Percy on the back. "Good luck on that U.S. history test, bro! Annabeth was stressed about making it to Spanish, so she already ditched you."

This time he allows himself to act like he had in kindergarten, groaning and grumbling all the way to History.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Back in his school clothes after swim practice, Percy sits in the locker room with his head in his hands. His skin is itchy and dry from all the chlorine, his head aches, and his bad knee throbs painfully even when he isn't standing on it.

Percy knows that Piper and Annabeth are waiting outside-after-school carpooling is a lot more sensible than the before school arrangement-but he just can't bring himself to go outside and face the real world quite yet. Since it is a fall sport, swim meets are quickly approaching, and the team has yet to gel and support each other like they should. Percy, as captain, feels a lot of pressure to lead his teammates and encourage them to reach their full potential. He doesn't resent the responsibility-he feels proud and very honored-but it would be futile to try to argue that it isn't a difficult role to play at times.

That, and he has to go lifeguard at the city pool today for a few hours before finally going home and tackling his homework. Hopefully he'll be able to sleep better tonight for all the energy he will have expended by the end of the day.

"Percy? You alright?"

Jerking his head up, Percy relaxes his posture and musters up a smile for Coach Brock. "Hey Coach B. I'm good." Knowing his coach is incredibly perceptive and knows Percy very well, he decides to go with the truth. Well, part of it. "Getting back in shape for swim season has been kicking my butt."

Coach just raises his eyebrows. "Percy, you're one of my hardest workers. You were hardly out of shape to begin with. Brushing up on your technique has been good for you, but your strength was never in question."

Sighing, but maintaining a tired smile, Percy responds, "I guess so. Been running when I can to work on my stamina though." He shrugs. "I'll get there."

Percy winces when Coach's expression becomes concerned. _I gotta get out of here quick. _"Running is pretty high impact on the joints. Has your knee been bothering you?"

Percy schools his expression to remain relaxed and casual as he stands and starts toward the door. "Nah, it's been fine. You know I like running. Not more than swimming of course, but a guy's gotta stay well-rounded right?"

Forcing himself to walk normally, Percy grins once more before shouting a quick, "_See you tomorrow coach!"_ over his shoulder.

Once outside the locker room, Percy slows his pace and pauses a little ways down the hall to try to alleviate some of the pain in his left knee. He allows himself until the count of thirty before blowing a breath through his lips and starting toward the parking lot.

**:::::**

"Took you long enough, Merman!"

The minute Percy comes into view, Piper waves and teases him with the nickname she bestowed upon him years ago. Annabeth is standing next to her with one side of her mouth quirked up.

Rolling his eyes, Percy waves lazily back at the pair. "Don't get your panties in a twist, Pipes, I'm coming."

"Thinking about my panties, Perce? Should Jason be informed of this?"

"Yeah Percy, is there something Jason should know?" Percy wrinkles his nose when he sees Annabeth smirking at him and high fiving Piper.

Even so, Annabeth allows Percy to pull her close with the arm that isn't lugging his swim bag and kiss her on the cheek when he gets close enough. "Sorry Pipes. As much as you and Leo want a piece of me, I'm kind of smitten with this other girl."

"Oh, you are?" Annabeth raises her eyebrows with that adorable half smile shaping her lips.

"Ohhhh yeah." He laughs a little into her lips when she tugs him down for a kiss.

Even with Piper gagging in the background, Percy pulls back enough to rest his forehead on Annabeth's and sings quietly in her ear. "I love you, Annabee."

Annabeth rolls her eyes, but she smiles Percy's favorite smile-the one that she only ever reserves for him. Her eyes shine with happiness and love, and it usually means she's about to kiss him until he has no breath left.

He is not disappointed.

They are interrupted when Piper leans over from the passenger's seat to lay on the horn until they separate. As Percy walks over and opens Annabeth's door, he grins. "What do you say, Annabeth?"

Knowing he's not referring to the usual golden word, "please", she humors him by singing an imitation of him. "I love you too, Seaweed Brain."

Satisfied, Percy grins again and climbs carefully into the backseat, trying not to tweak his knee.

In the front seat, Piper is complaining about all the "Percabeth PDA". Annabeth retorts, "Please. I think Percy and I deserve some free PDAs after having to see you and Jason all loved up on each other for the past four years."

"Come on, you have to admit, you're pretty affectionate."

Annabeth concedes, "Maybe around you guys."

Percy interjects. "Why must you call us Percabeth? Why not…" He struggles for a moment before blurting out, "Annacy?"

Piper snorts and the other half of Percabeth wrinkles her nose at Percy in the rearview mirror, speaking without hesitation. "Veto."

Percy huffs. "Okay fine. How about...JackChase?" Even Percy winces at that, so he quickly backtracks. "No wait...Jase. That's pretty good isn't it? Isn't mashing up last names a thing too?"

Piper thinks for a moment. "Well, I guess it is pleasing to the ears, but it just doesn't have that..._Percabeth _ring to it, you know what I mean, Annabeth?"

"It's true," Annabeth agree. "It's too generic. It's too...nondescript. Nothing distinctly unique about it."

After a moment, Piper twists around to look at Percy like, _did you understand that?_ And Percy looks back at her like, _Not a chance, but I'm used to it. _

Seeing the exchange, Annabeth rolls her eyes. "_Anyway_, Percy are you joining us at Piper's house?"

Percy sighs and rests his head back on the headrest, closing his eyes for a moment. "Can't. Lifeguarding today."

Piper winces in sympathy, knowing how often he works. "Maybe you could at least do some homework while you work?"

Even Piper knew that one was a long shot, and all it does is make Percy groan dramatically and throw an arm over his eyes. "Mr. D would kill me...and I might also, you know, indirectly kill someone else by letting them _drown _because Shakespeare is _much_ more important than innocent lives, of course_._"

Just as they're pulling up to the curb in front of Percy's house-well, technically the house _in front _of Percy's house-Annabeth wonders out loud, "What's his real name anyway?"

"Um...William?"

She twists around to give him a look. "Do you really think I need to ask for the real name of the world famous poet I spent an entire semester studying last year?"

Piper graciously puts Percy out of his confused misery. "_Mr. D_, Percy. _Mr. D._"

"Oh. Right." Shaking his head, Percy responds in a resigned way, "I'm not even sure if _he_ knows. He calls me by a different name every time I see him." He gives the two girls a look. "And none of them include the words 'Percy' or 'Jackson'."

When Percy gets out of the car and gathers his things, Annabeth rolls her window down, indicating that she wants to talk to Percy. Stiff from sitting in the car, Percy's aching body won't let him step up to her door without lurching a little, but the girls don't comment.

Bending to lean his forearms on the door of Annabeth's car, he raises his eyebrows in a silent question. Annabeth doesn't speak for a moment, her eyes running over his face. Percy doesn't usually mind being analyzed because he knows how she operates. Annabeth catalogues facial expressions and body language without even being aware of it in order to gather as much information as possible in any given situation. However, It makes Percy uncomfortable this time, and he's not sure why.

Finally, Annabeth states quietly, "You haven't been sleeping well."

It isn't a question, and Percy can't deny the truth of it. Straightening, Percy takes a step back and looks down at her with a crooked smile. "I'll sleep good tonight, that's for sure. I'm alright, Annabeth, no need to worry."

She doesn't bother to correct his grammar-it's futile, she's learned-and doesn't look convinced. "Do you need me to come over after work to help you study? How are you doing in math?"

Percy laughs a little at the beautiful girl he gets to call his own. He finds it stupidly endearing that she shows affection by worrying about his grades in math. "No, Annabee. I've got a lighter load tonight, so I'm probably just gonna breeze through it and get to bed."

Piper leans forward and raises her eyebrows at him with a grin. "What, do you get off work at ten at night or something? It's not high school-much less _Senior year_-if you don't stay up 'til midnight at least."

"And you wonder why you're off to a bad start this year," Annabeth mutters under her breath. Though if Piper's scowl is anything to go by, she heard it loud and clear.

Tugging on one of Annabeth's curls and whispering one last _I love you_, Percy waves back at the two girls, responding to Piper. "Gotta sleep to be able to pay the bills, Pipes! Love you both!"

They shout their goodbyes, and he means it when he says he loves them, but the minute he is out of their sights, he thanks the heavens. Sighing heavily, Percy allows a frown to cross his face as he trudges the last steps to his tiny little home and gets ready for work.

**:::::**

The minute Percy enters his home after work, he lets out a tired, but undeniably passionate, "_Hallelujah!" _followed by a faceplant into the couch. (_Into. _Not on. There's a difference.) He feels like he's at his wit's end with today.

"Percy?" He hears his mother call from her bedroom.

"Hey Mom. 'M home." It's truly impressive that Sally hears or understands her son, seeing as his head is buried in a couch cushion.

Endeared by her son's antics, she smiles and shakes her head. "Pull your head out of the couch, Percy, you'll suffocate." (See? _Out of. _Not off of. His mother gets it.)

"But _Mom," _he whines. "I'm tired and I just got home and I have homework and I'm tired and I'm sore and-"

Smiling a sort of sad smile now, Sally Jackson perches on the edge of the couch and rubs her son's back. "Percy, you really shouldn't be working so hard. I wish you'd quit the lifeguarding."

Percy rolls over and smiles tiredly, half lidded. "It's all good, Mama. I like it."

They both know he'd happily go without it, but they also know college would be a lot less realistic prospect if he didn't work. It was a sad understanding, on Sally's part at least. Percy never showed any hint of resentment or anger about it. Ever since he was little, Percy rarely complained and kept a smile on his face, no matter the situation. He loved freely and fiercely, and Sally was so proud of him...but she worried.

Softly, "Okay, Perseus." She laughs as he wrinkles his nose at the name only she ever calls him. "I've made dinner already, so don't go starving yourself just because the only cereal in the cupboard is Wheaties."

Percy smiles reassuringly at his mother. "Thanks Mom. Love you."

Sally smiles slyly at him now. "Speaking of _love,_" she exaggerates the word, "a certain beautiful blonde stopped by with a few things for you."

Unabashedly, Percy lights up. "She did?"

Laughing, Sally gestures to the small bundle of items on the kitchen table a few feet away. "It's all there." Then she pauses, considering. "Well, minus one cookie, but that's tax for accepting the package for you."

Shaking his head and grinning, Percy drags himself off the couch, only to plop down on a chair at the table. He laughs softly when he sees what could really only be described as a "bundle". It looks like a few items are balled up inside a sweatshirt...which Percy actually thinks is one of his.

Inside, there's a small tupperware container with a few (blue, his favorite!) cookies-which had obviously been rifled through already-what looks like a page of notes with equations on it, and two folded letters. He decides to read the letters first.

The first one he opens is signed _Your Girlfriend's Best Friend, Piper. _Percy snorts a laugh at the impersonal sign off, but reads the note with a fond smile regardless.

**Hey, Merman! **

**Annabeth decided I didn't have anything better to do than to make her boyfriend some baked goods, so here you go. Also...you know I love you, right Perce? We all give you a lot of crap, but it's only because we love ya. And seriously, don't stress too much about school, okay? You're giving your girlfriend stress lines, and the rest of the gang is more than happy to help. Hate to break it to ya, but the world is not just your own personal swimming pool, so ya gotta help us out. We're all in this together dude.**

**Dream of Annabeth tonight **_**;**_**)))) ? ****ﾟﾘﾉ****? ****ﾟﾘﾜ****?**

**Your Girlfriend's Best Friend,**

**Piper**

Percy rolls his eyes with a grin at his rather sassy friend. He remembers how thrilled Annabeth had been when she moved next door in the middle of eighth grade. Tired of hanging out with Leo, Jason, and Percy all the time, she forced herself on Piper in the most Annabeth way possible. Even though they didn't have a single class together, Annabeth would conveniently stop by next door for flour or something equally ridiculous and use it as an repeatedly offer homework help, which Piper warily accepted. The two bonded over their sarcastic senses of humor, and the dysfunction within their families-Piper's mother and father are both rarely home because of their respective modeling and acting careers, and Annabeth's father had just remarried.  
Piper is a good friend. She's lighthearted and a little devious, but she knows how to be sincere when she needs to be. It _is_ true that they give Percy a lot of grief-all of his friends do-but then, they all playfully jab each other on an hourly basis. It's an easy, joking relationship that they all have, and Percy wouldn't trade it for anything.

Next, He unfolds the other paper, which he knows will be from Annabeth.

Dear Percy,

First, no matter what Piper claims, I did most of the work with the cookies (we had to go out for the blue dye, so I will accept compensation in the form of kisses tomorrow). Second, I have graciously returned your school sweatshirt. It stopped smelling like you, so I washed it once more before returning it. (Laundry detergent isn't cheap these days, so I expect compensation in the form of your swim team hoodie...I'll return that at a later date as well)

Percy, don't think I don't notice how stressed you are. I know you, Seaweed Brain, and I know you hate people hovering and worrying, but you know me too-I'm going to bother you until you let me help you. you' don't have to be a stubborn seaweed brain and do it all yourself. Plus, my stepmom practically loves you more than me and the twins have been asking about you, which means we're long overdue for a movie night! (I'm looking at you sternly)

Miss you. (I'm looking at you only slightly less sternly now)

Love,

Annabeth

P.S. Included are some notes I took in AP Calc last year. Call me if it looks like hieroglyphics.

Percy smiles at the familiar handwriting. He does know that Annabeth will worry and he loves that she cares, but Percy will be back to normal soon enough. Though he will admit, he greatly appreciates the help with math. Annabeth _would_ save _last year's AP Calculus notes_, he thinks with affection.

Stretching slightly, Percy eases out of his chair and limps around to put the cookies out of the way on the counter and file the letters away in a drawer of the small dresser cramped awkwardly in the corner of the room.

When Percy bends down to grab his school work, he sees his mother out of the corner of his eye. Sally had appeared in the doorway of her room at some point and is watching him with a soft look on her face. When Percy straightens, she pulls him into an unexpectedly tight hug. Confused, Percy frowns into the embrace, but lets his mother comfort and be comforted for as long as she needs to, matching her love with his.

When she finally pulls away, Percy's mother brushes his hair back. "You're a good boy Percy. You know that, don't you?"

And when he sees the dark circles under his mother's eyes and the creases on her forehead that he could swear hadn't been there a month ago, he certainly doesn't feel like it. He smiles anyway. "Yes, Mama."

With one last squeeze to his shoulder, Sally goes back to her room and starts in on some research for a news article she's writing. As she powers up the ancient laptop, she curses her last company for laying her off and forcing her to start all over once again. Though, she supposes, she was incredibly fortunate to have found work again so quickly. Focussing on that, she settles in for a long night.

And on the other side of the wall, Percy does the same.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The next morning, Percy wakes up with an aching neck and a page full of complicated equations stuck to his forehead. Groaning hoarsely, he checks his phone for the time. His eyes bulge at what he sees.

_6:28? 6:28! _Percy swears mentally, still staring at the time, willing it to reverse. He moans pitifully as it clicks to 6:29-approximately half an hour before he is supposed to be at early morning weight training, and half an hour _after_ he usually gets up. Since Percy and his mother only have one car, which she takes to work, Percy has to run to the school when he has to be there early. Ordinarily, he enjoys the run. The cold air clears his mind and allows a break from the chaos. But these days he just feels so..._tired. _Worn out.

Heaving himself up and off the couch, he surveys the scene before him. There are papers scattered haphazardly around, and his math book is lying askew on the floor where it had presumably fallen when Percy fell asleep. He winces when he picks up the textbook, trying to smooth out the creases.

Quickly packing his school bag, swim bag, and dressing in gym shorts and a T-shirt, Percy writes a quick note to his mother, letting her know he had to be at school early.

Percy hops around as he struggles to fasten his knee brace, but as soon as it's on, he is out the door and the run begins.

**:::::**

As Percy's bags bounce on his back, he curses himself for not thinking to leave his backpack with Annabeth. On weight training days, he usually tries to pack his backpack the night before and leave it with Annabeth so she can take it to school and give it to him when he meets them before first period. Today, however, he had obviously not prepared anything, and wasn't even certain Annabeth knew that he'd be running to school early today.

Percy is also painfully reminded that he had not eaten dinner the night before. He only vaguely feels the emptiness in his stomach, but he is definitely aware of the lack of energy fueling his body.

Somehow, food had dropped low on Percy's list of priorities without him even realizing it. Percy sighs. This isn't the first time in his life it's happened-losing weight over stress-so he's not too bothered. Vaguely Percy remembers throwing together a barely meager lunch before he left this morning. Until dinner, it would have to do.

Percy's thoughts turn to what he has in store today. First, he obviously has weight training-_well, I have to _get _there first_, Percy mentally grumbles-which actually isn't mandatory for the team to attend. It's "strongly encouraged" and Coach B makes a big deal about it, but most of the team only shows up two or three times in a season.

Ever since he started on the swim team in Freshman year, Percy had made it a point to go consistently. He wanted to prove that he was worthy of his position, regardless of what it was: captain, anchor of the relay, or just teammate. He loved the camaraderie of the team and having a common goal to work towards. He wanted to do well for his team, his coaches, and because he loved the competition and took pride in his ever increasing improvement.

Percy had always loved the water. His mother says that Percy's favorite time of day was bath time when he was a toddler. Apparently Sally had a hard time getting him to come out and dry off.

Percy _still_ loves the water-that will never change. But sometimes he feels like he has to put more effort into psyching himself up for practice than he would like. Percy considers that it isn't the actual swimming that wears him out so much, but maybe the...interaction. Occasionally when Percy isn't looking, his subconscious starts to let anxiety creep in when he has to face responsibility. It feels like just being out in the world bleeds the energy from him.

This confuses and stresses him out even more. Percy has always been an extrovert and loves being around people, even if they are just sitting around. He has always hated being alone, which is largely why he spends so much time at Annabeth's house or with Piper when she joins them. They have frequent slumber parties, sometimes the three of them and sometimes just he and Annabeth-Percy calls them slumber parties and Annabeth whacks him in the face with pillows for it, but secretly, she loves it. Percy can't help it. He loves making her laugh and he loves the look on her face when he says something ridiculously cheesy and she pretends it embarrasses her. He just loves Annabeth.

Although, it has been a while since he spent the night at the Chase home. All traces of Percy's smile disappear almost as quickly as they had come, and all of the sudden he feels alone and very very sad.

**:::::**

When Percy finally reaches the weight room, he drops his bags unceremoniously just outside the door. He laces his fingers together on top of his head, trying to catch his breath. Percy makes a mental note to buy a protein bar from the first vending machine he sees.

Also, he bolds another mental note to buy some painkillers. His knee protests as he bends to pick up his bags and bring them inside the weight room. Ignoring the pain and trying to erase his racing thoughts, Percy gets to work.

Fortunately, weightlifting doesn't offer as much time for thinking as running does. He enjoys the more intense spurts of physical exertion and has actually come to appreciate the soreness in his muscles. It means he is getting stronger-making progress.

Although there are definitely certain kinds of "sore" that aren't so pleasant. Percy rolls his neck and tries to massage the spot that had gotten cramped when he slumped over to sleep the night before.

Percy sighs and refuses to continue the ridiculous pity party. A small smile even comes across his face as he thinks, _At least Piper will be proud that I made it past midnight last night_.

Percy heads to leg lifts and completes a few sets before finishing. There are actually never coaches-or any adults for that matter-at early morning training, so every day after forty-five minutes are up, Percy stands on a bench and congratulates the few teammates who had shown up to "pump some iron" by way of dismissal. Today, as they file out and head towards the locker room, Percy floats throughout the group, greeting his teammates.

As he's talking with Eddie, who swims free-style in a relay with Percy, another guy from the team-Damien-nudges him. "Bro, there's a pole with arms and legs trailing you."

Percy looks at Damien quizzically and tries to glance over his shoulder subtly. The kid walking a few paces behind and to the left of Percy is, admittedly, pretty scrawny.

"Kinda looks like a puppy, if you ask me," Eddie comments.

Percy grins at his friends. "Guys, come on. I knew you both as freshman. At least that kid isn't brace-faced and out of breath after walking from the weight room to the locker rooms."

Eddie chuckles and Damien tries to huff a denial, but Eddie leans into Percy before anyone else can comment. "Stick bug approaching at eight o'clock. This one's all you Perce."

Eddie claps him on the shoulder and Damien jogs after him, shouting over his shoulder, "You're a legend, Jackson!"

Shaking his head at the boys, Percy slows his pace and turns to see the kid only a step behind him now. Deciding to throw him a bone and start a conversation, Percy nods his head in greeting and squints at the kid with faint recognition. "Hey, you part of the JV squad? I've heard they have a pretty good lineup this year."

The kid laughs nervously. "Uh, yeah. Looks pretty good so far."

Percy waits for a moment, and when the boy doesn't say anything, he pauses in front of the locker room and turns to the poor kid. "Hey, we've both gotta take a quick shower and head out pretty quick after that, but I just wanted to say that I'm Percy Jackson. I swim Varsity, and I gotta say, it's pretty cool of you to be here so early." Percy pauses to think for a moment. "Actually, I think I've seen you here a couple other times too."

Percy now notices that the boy probably has the whitest blonde hair he's ever seen. It looks like he's seen a lot of sun, and probably from being in the pool, if Percy has to guess. The skinny blonde stutters, "Yeah, I come every time the weight room is open. I see you here every time too." The poor kid's eyes widen as he realizes he's said something a tad bit creepy.

Percy just chuckles and claps him on the shoulder. "Then it looks like you and me gotta hold down the fort right? Set a good example for the slackers." Percy checks the time and nearly swears. He'll barely have time to rinse off and then book it to first period. Trying not to be rude, Percy speaks quickly, walking into the locker room with the blonde trailing behind. "Uh, so if you want I can get your name and put in a good word for you with coach, but I really gotta run."

"I'm Alex." Percy raises his eyebrows. "Uh, Alex Perry."

It brightens Percy's day just a little when Alex Perry smiles at Percy as if he really is a legend like Damien said. "Alright Alex, I'll see you Thursday morning, bright and early."

And when Percy rushes off to the showers and notices the kid isn't following, he calls over his shoulder. "You're not going to impress the girl's swim team without at least a little deodorant, man!"

Percy smiles again when he hears Alex scramble after him.

**:::::**

Percy knows Leo is annoyed the minute he walks into classic film to see the shorter boy propping up his feet on Percy's chair and looking at him with a blank face, except for one raised eyebrow. Percy pauses and wracks his brain for anything he could've done to make Leo mad.

Brows furrowed and eyes on the ground as he thinks, Percy doesn't realizes he's walking too slow towards his seat, and winces when he's abruptly shoved out of the way by an impatient, tall, brunette girl he recognizes from his english class.

Wincing at the faint aching in his knee, Percy walks a little faster to his seat, and Leo slowly drops his feet from the chair. Sitting slowly and taking his time to settle his backpack next to him, Percy stalls for time, trying to think of what he needs to apologize for.

Coming up with nothing, Percy runs a hand down his face and turns around to face Leo. "Alright, what did I do this time?"

Leo scowls for a moment, avoiding eye contact, but when he looks up, the expression drops into confusion. "Dude, you look pretty terrible."

Percy winces. "Had a busy day yesterday, and an early morning today." Quickly moving on, he says, "As much as I appreciate the honesty, I can't apologize until I know why you're angry."

Leo rolls his eyes, but Percy can tell he has cooled off. He grumbles, "I hope you know I wasn't able to cram in any extra beauty sleep this morning because everyone was freaking out that you were gone without an explanation."

Percy groans and rubs his temples when he realizes his mistake. "I'm really sorry, man. I woke up late and completely forgot to let you guys know you didn't have to pick me up. My bad."

Leo gives him a hard look and then relaxes into his seat. Shrugging, he says, "It's alright. I guess I wasn't really that mad at you, I just…" he sighed. "Home is pretty...loud-right now. It's stressing me out."

Percy purses his lips to one side. Leo's parents are two of the most hot and cold people Percy has ever known. They could be borderline creepily in love one day, and the next they could be throwing plates across the room. Percy has only ever been present for one of their screaming matches and it was...not pleasant.

Percy really loves his mother in times like this.

"Leo, you know you can stop by my house or the pool anytime. Or Jason's or anyone else's. It's not your responsibility to keep the house calm."

Leo smiles a little ruefully. "Yeah, I know." His regular Leo-smile returns, if a little weaker than normal. Leaning in close to Percy, he whispers loudly, "Just a warning: our cute little blonde was not happy with the radio silence this morning."

When Leo leans back and laces his fingers together behind his head, as if to enjoy the show, Percy knows he's really in trouble.

Right on cue, Percy hears someone aggressively power walking-now that Percy thinks of it, that's a pretty good representation of Annabeth's personality as a whole-directly toward him.

Turning around slowly, Percy gives his beautiful girlfriend a panicked smile. "Hey, Annabee. You look great today." And she really does, but Percy cringes at the nervous, squeaky, _traitorous_ voice that just came out of his mouth.

Sitting down just as class starts, Annabeth abruptly yanks Percy closer by the collar of his shirt-usually this would result in a passionate makeout session, but this time Percy suspects that Annabeth has different motives. Breathing in his face-can someone breathe angrily? If so, Annabeth's got it down to a science-she hisses, "Don't _Annabee _me, Perseus Jackson. You nearly gave me a heart attack this morning when Jason texted me asking if you were _dead in a ditch._"

"Personally, I thought Percy would be more likely to be lured into the forest and be axe murdered," Leo supplies helpfully.

Annabeth glares at Leo, who is completely unaffected. Thankfully, before Percy can be axed by his own girlfriend, their teacher shushes them and turns on the movie.

Percy continues to stare at Annabeth, watching as she determinedly stares forward, lips in a tight line. Drooping a little, Percy feels pathetic for letting this upset him so much. He knows Annabeth. Percy knows that she's not as angry as she appears-she's just worried about him. But still, Percy hates that he made a stupid mistake and caused unnecessary distress. The two of them are very protective of each other-they've been through too much not to be-and Percy knows he would have been freaked out if Annabeth had just disappeared like he had. He hates upsetting Annabeth.

Leaning over and kissing her on the cheek, he grabs Annabeth's hand briefly and whispers, "I'm sorry. Love you Annabee."

Leaning back in his seat, Percy melts into his chair and frowns at the desk in front of him, trying not to focus on the self-directed disappointment he feels creeping up on him.

Some time later, he feels Annabeth reach over and squeeze his knee in a lingering touch, before returning to her paper and taking diligent notes on the movie.

It makes him smile a small smile and he reaches out and rests his arm on the back of Annabeth's chair for the rest of the class. Even though she doesn't look at him or change her expression at all, he knows it's going to be okay.

**:::::**

At lunch a few days later, Percy tries to focus on stupid letters that refuse to stay where they're supposed to on the paper-and he's doing _calculus!_ At this point, he's gritting his teeth so hard, he's sure they'll fall off. Either that or his brain will explode. Whatever comes first.

"Percy, I'm pretty sure your math homework didn't give you a paper cut on purpose if that's what you're mad about."

Percy looks up to see Frank and Hazel looking at him with amusement. He purposely sat a little apart from his friends so that he wouldn't be distracted. So it's from a few feet away that Frank and Hazel laugh at him.

Trying-and mostly failing-to muster up some good humor, he groans his response to Frank loudly. "It's not a papercut I'm worried about, I'm mad at my homework for trying to give me an aneurysm."

Frank looks at Percy carefully. "It's okay Perce. If you're working on this at lunch," he motions to the mass of notes and worksheets in front of Percy, "you're probably getting ahead right?"

Percy winces, rubbing his forehead. "No...I'm actually doing make up work. Didn't do so hot on a test last week, and Mr. Andrews is letting me turn in corrections for some extra credit...but I have to turn it in after school today."

"Oh…" Hazel sighs softly. She and Frank exchange a look, and Hazel glances quickly at the others for a moment. Piper, Jason, Leo, and Annabeth are engaged in what looks to be a heated debate about the difference between entomology and etymology. As much as they appear to be distracted, Percy knows Annabeth has been sneaking glances at him pretty frequently.

"Percy…" Hazel looks like she's not quite sure how to say what she wants to.

Percy props his head up on his hand and gives her a small smile of encouragement. "What's up, Hazel?"

She smiles faintly before her expression becomes serious again. "Percy, Annabeth is worried. About you."

Percy leans back, caught off guard. Frank scratches the back of his neck before agreeing with Hazel. "Um, we all know you tend to get a little, uh...overwhelmed this time of year, but you don't have to keep beating yourself up about it."

Trying for a smile through the turmoil inside, Percy shakes his head. "I'm good, you guys. You know how Annabeth worries. And I've just been a little stressed about swim season, but the first meet is tomorrow, so I'll be a lot more at ease next week."

Though steady conversation is continuing amongst his friends a little down the bench, Percy knows Annabeth's attention is on him.

Percy can see that Hazel is going to reach out and touch his hand, and before he can really think about it, he snatches his hand back and folds his arms a little defensively. Looking taken aback, Hazel stays quiet.

"I know…" Percy swallows. "I know I take things hard and don't really...do well under stress but I really will be fine."

Dropping the ruse, Annabeth lets her voice float into the tense air. "Percy," her voice is soft, but...guarded. He hates it. "There's no swim after school today, right? Just during sixth period?"

He shakes his head slowly. "Yeah, there's never after-school practice the day before a meet."

To anyone else, Annabeth might look casual, if a little intense, but Percy sees through her. She's unsure. Annabeth is never unsure. She knows nearly everything about everything, and Percy has always loved her confidence. She's steady, dependable. But now, she's off her game, and trying to cover it up with a determined challenge.

"Then come over after school. You can sleep over, and I'll even let you pick the documentary we watch."

Her smile is more real when Percy laughs and retorts, "Oh, you mean a slumber party?"

She rolls her eyes. "Yes, Idiot. If you're determined to act like a tween girl, we can take magazine quizzes and paint our nails at our _slumber party _tonight."

Now the whole group is watching the exchange, snickering quietly, and Percy grins at the normalcy of it all. "So we can paint our nails while watching the documentary about Jerry, Elaine, and George? The one with the soup?"

Annabeth groans and flips her hair dramatically in the way that always demands his attention. "Percy, for the last time, you cannot trick me into watching _Seinfeld _by pretending it's a documentary."

"I've never understood why you like that show so much," Piper adds from where she's leaning back against Jason's chest.

"Yeah. I bet Annabeth likes real men who watch informative documentaries." Percy can't help but glower at Leo's interjection and starts to make a scathing remark about how Leo could never last a full two hours learning about cocoa plants, but the argument dies in his throat. And it doesn't taste good.

Suddenly Percy's moment of bliss that was frozen in time is dashed away in a moment. "Annabee," his voice is soft. "I have to work, and catch up on homework-I have that essay due tomorrow and I have to read-"

"Percy." Annabeth's voice is firm and he knows she's worried when her eyes flicker between his, looking for answers in that way that makes him feel exposed. They have no secrets between them-there's never been any reason to-so it shouldn't bother him, but now it feels almost like an invasion of privacy. "Calm down, babe. It'll be okay. When does your shift end?"

Percy wracks his brain, trying to think past the stress. "Um, eight, I think."

Jason blinks. Percy had hardly been aware that anyone else was paying attention. He was too busy trying not to suffocate. "And you start at three, right? Dude, you know there's a limit on how many hours a full-time student can work, right?"

Mostly ignoring Jason's main point, Percy waves a hand and hopes no one notices it shaking. "I'm working a double shift today. Mr. D-my boss-knows I could always use the extra cash, so he fits me for an extra shift sometimes." He shrugs. "He had no one working the shift after me, so he let me cover that too."

Percy shifts under the gazes of his friends, avoiding eye contact. He doesn't know why he feels like he's in trouble, but it makes a little shame creep into his subconscious.

"Percy," Annabeth is firm this time. She's not backing down. "I'll pick you up after work and we'll go through your homework together, okay?"

It's not really an offer or a question. It's a statement of fact, and Percy has no excuses left.

**:::::**

After work, Percy lies on the couch in the lobby of the rec building, waiting for Annabeth to arrive. He has an arm thrown over his eyes, and the other resting on his stomach. Not one-hundred percent awake, he takes deep breaths and tries not to think too much about why he's anxious to see Annabeth.

It's _Annabeth_.

He shouldn't be nervous to see one of his favorite people in the world, but he can't deny the slight ache in his chest.

He decides to credit the tightness to stress about the swim meet tomorrow. It will be a Friday meet at Olympia High's pool-Percy knows every inch of that pool. He's mostly nervous for the relay that he will be swimming anchor for. Last year, the anchor position had been mostly been dominated by a senior who was recognized statewide for being one of the best butterfly swimmers in California. Those are big shoes to fill and Percy is all too aware of that. He has been working on that very stroke all week with Coach B, who had been telling Percy that he was looking really good and has a lot of potential to get noticed, which is _beyond _amazing. His knee injuries had kept him out of the pool on and off in the first two years of high school, and he's pushed himself extra hard to get to this point.

Part of the reason Percy pushes himself so hard at swimming is because he reaaaally doesn't want to go into debt his first year of college. If he could snag a scholarship, he would be able to continue living his passion and maybe even attend college actually having enough money for food. Of course, Percy finds it hard to imagine living too far away from his mother-or Annabeth, but he's not thinking about that right now-and would definitely not leave her lonely or hurting for anything...which only complicates things further.

"Percy, your golden girl is here!" Angela from the front desk alerts him. She can't see his face from where he's lying on the couch, so he raises a hand in acknowledgement and gives a half hearted grunt.

When he removes his arm from his eyes, Percy is rewarded with the sight of a scowling Annabeth stalking towards him, and suddenly, somehow, he's not so nervous anymore.

Sitting up, Percy grins at her. "Grumpy about traffic again, Annabee?"

Head snapping up, she sees him grinning and plops down on the opposite side of the couch so she can rest her feet on his lap. She groans, "I hate minivans. In this very parking lot, I nearly got rear ended by an ugly orange minivan and then run over by a another stressed mother who had to have had at least five children under the age of ten in her car."

Percy laughs at Annabeth's irritation, and massages her calf dutifully. "Well, if you would prefer, we can run home on the route I usually use."

Pulling her legs back and placing them on the carpet, Annabeth rolls her eyes and smiles. "Please, Seaweed Brain. You're probably so waterlogged that you couldn't make it the whole way without collapsing."

As she stands, Percy follows and tugs on her shirt with a pout. "I didn't even have to jump in today! I'm strong," he whines. "I'm fast. I'm-hey!"

Percy stops in his tracks just outside the automatic doors and Annabeth turns to look back at him quizzically. "Percy?"

He looks at her with puppy dog eyes as his mind randomly goes back to a conversation they had several days ago. "Do you really have a thing for brown eyes?"

She laughs loudly and slips her arm around Percy's waist. "You know, your eyes would probably be brown if your head wasn't stuffed so full of seaweed."

Leaning heavily against Annabeth's side, Percy whines and whimpers like a wounded puppy the whole way to the car. It did not slip past him that Annabeth had not answered the question.

When they approach Annabeth's old corolla, she unlocks the doors and Percy goes to open the door for her. She lets him, but smiles with raised eyebrows after he plants a kiss on her cheek. "Why do you always insist on doing that?" She asks with a laugh.

"What, kiss your cheek?" Percy questions, walking around to the passenger's side.

She rolls her eyes and leans over so he can still see her. "No, open my door."

"Well," he drawls once he's settled, "my mother raised me to be a gentleman. Also I love you."

Annabeth smiles and leans over for a kiss that probably lasts longer than she intended before pulling out of the parking lot.

**::::**

"So did you do it?"

Now walking upstairs to Annabeth's room, Percy is telling Annabeth about a particularly forward woman at the pool today who was determined to get him in the water...or rather, take his shirt off.

He snorts as if he's offended. "Of course not! I'm not going to take off my shirt just because some middle aged mom hasn't seen abs in a while."

Annabeth laughs, opening her door and letting them both into her simple, meticulously organized room.

She laughs once more when Percy immediately throws himself facedown on her bed. Sighing, he confesses, "I've missed your bed, Annabeth."

The owner of said bed wrinkles her nose and retorts, "I have decidedly not missed you rumpling my sheets."

Percy rolls over lazily and moves over so that Annabeth can lay next to him. As she obliges, Percy smirks. "Come on, Annabee. You missed my abs."

Scoffing, Annabeth shoves Percy off the bed with a foot. When he hisses just slightly in pain, she abruptly sticks her head over the side of the bed and looks at him with stormy eyes. She knows Percy hates admitting pain of any kind and knows something must be wrong beyond a bruised elbow from being pushed off the bed. "Percy, what's wrong?"

He quickly picks himself up and smiles weakly. "I'm okay Annabeth. Just caught me off guard, is all."

Annabeth is not satisfied by this answer. She sees the way he gingerly lowers himself back on the bed. "Percy, don't you dare make this whole avoidance-of-your-problems thing a habit," she warns. Annabeth has figured out that his bad knee is bothering him, but she's going to make him be the one to admit it.

Percy knows he's not going to get his way this time, but tries again anyway. "Uh, I'm sore from-"

"Percy. Do I have to remind you that my head is _not_ full of seaweed?"

Groaning childishly to lighten the mood, he thumps his head back on the headboard and crosses his arms. "Well, I guess I could use an ice pack."

Annabeth gives him a warning look. "For?"

He sighs and lets an honest, tired smile pull his lips up as he reaches out to brush a lock of Annabeth's hair away from her face. "My knee is bothering me a little, but it's not-"

"Shush!" Any arguments Percy might have tried die in his throat as Annabeth disappears down the hall, undoubtedly grabbing an ice pack for him.

Pouting, Percy decides he'd better get out his homework and attempt to focus-though he knows it's mostly futile, what with the pretty blonde who will be sitting next to him.

Even with his back turned, he feels it when Annabeth returns. Also, he gets a pretty good hint that she's back when she thumps the back of his head and takes the books out of his hands. "Hey, what was that for?"

She rolls her eyes. "Since when do I need an excuse to show some affection to my boyfriend?"

Chuckling slightly, Percy allows Annabeth to feel useful by gathering a few of his stray papers, and reclaims his previous position on her sinfully comfortable bed. Setting the books and papers next to her, Annabeth turns to Percy and starts to probe his knee ever so gently. Even at the slight touch, Percy inhales deeply, trying to control his reaction to the throbbing pain.

Annabeth, though not trying to hurt him by _any _means, was watching for a reaction like this. She immediately withdraws her hand, as if the skin had burned her. She searches his face and her concern only intensifies when she sees him consciously remove any signs of distress from his expression.

Percy is maybe a-little-bit-kind-of-slightly terrified of hurting his knee again, so although Annabeth's touch did make him ache, his sharp breath was mostly a knee-jerk (hehe) reaction of fear.

Annabeth is thankful that her voice comes out strong. "Percy, why didn't you mention how bad this was? You know if it dislocates again, or fluid builds up-"

"Annabeth." It comes out sharper than Percy intended, and he closes his and leans back when he sees Annabeth's eyebrows shoot up.

"I'm sorry, Annabee." His voice is much softer this time, and quiet. "I just don't like to...to face things sometimes, and I would never…I didn't mean to…" He trails off, unsure how to express himself.

All he knows to do is open his arms and voice an unspoken apology with his eyes.

Annabeth obliges after a moment of hesitation, leaning into his strong embrace. They stay there for a while, breathing each other in. And _gosh, _Percy had missed her.

Annabeth plants a tender kiss to the spot where his neck meets his body, and leans back, leaving a hand on his chest. "I missed you," is the simple admission that reflects Percy's own thoughts.

Percy smiles contentedly, and he feels light for the first time in a while. Kissing her hard, he uses an arm to hold her tightly against him. When he pulls back, he grins widely, exhaustion forgotten at the merest sight of her flushed cheeks and the hint of breathlessness betrayed by the quick rise and fall of her chest.

She rolls her eyes a little at his smug grin-if one can even roll their eyes _a little-_but the slight upward tilt of her lips betrays her. Percy catches her wrist before she can smack his chest and makes a baby seal face at her, trying to lessen the vulnerability of what he's about to say. "Wrap my knee for me?"

And the release of tension in her shoulders coupled with a soft kiss pressed to his cheek lets him know that he did the right thing.

**:::::**

A little while later, Percy is balancing his math notes on the leg that he had pulled up with his other leg extended and wrapped in an ice pack. Percy sits, borderline seething at his work that is just _not _adding up-and just like that, without his volition, his mind wanders to the humor in that last mental complaint. _Adding up. Math homework._ _Hehe._

Mercifully, the alarm on Annabeth's phone rings, providing a momentary reprieve.

Apparently Percy sighs his relief a little too loudly because Annabeth quirks an amused eyebrow over at him. Smiling sheepishly, he admits, "I'm starting to get just a _teensy_ bit frustrated."

Trying to swallow a laugh, she raises both eyebrows this time. "Calculus trying to give you an aneurysm again?"

Pouting, "Maybe…"

She grins and shakes her head, going to unwrap the ice pack on his knee. The timer was to remind them that it should be iced for fifteen minutes and off for fifteen, and so on, blah blah blah.

"Why is it always Calc that gets you?"

"I don't know, but I'm just glad that Trig is over with." He shivers at the memory.

Annabeth takes great care in untying the bandana they had used to secure the cold pack with minimal jostling. "How does it feel now?"

Her expression is so sincere, and Percy can't help but laugh a little at how lucky he got with this girl. "Much better."

She looks at him weirdly for the laugh, but she can admit to herself that his enthusiasm for life and love endears him greatly to her. "Is it _really _better?"

Exaggerating exasperation, he whines, "Yes, _Mom, _my booboo feels better." Then he thinks for a moment and smirks. "But it might feel a little better if you kissed it better. On the lips."

Ignoring his unashamed flirting-she's had lots of practice-Annabeth addresses her original point with _un_exaggerated exasperation. "Do we have to do this _every time, _Seaweed Brain?"

Percy rolls his eyes, but smiles all the same. Then he looks down at his lap, smile fading ever so slightly before facing Annabeth again. "I'm really feeling better, Annabee. It's still…" She waits patiently while he finds the words. "I'm still _aware _of it, if that makes sense, but it mostly feels numb right now."

Frowning to show that she's not entirely satisfied, Annabeth pushes further. "But you'll tell Coach Brock tomorrow if it starts getting bad?"

Grinning crookedly, Percy responds, though they both know it's a bit of an empty promise. "Anything for you, babe."

Huffing, Annabeth retorts, "Okay _babe, _why don't we see how that calculus is coming, huh?"

He can vaguely hear Annabeth laughing unabashedly at him as he shoves a pillow in front of his face and moans loudly into it.

That night he actually gets a many hours of restful sleep, wrapped up in everything Annabeth.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Just like the day before at lunch, when Percy wakes up to the sounds of Annabeth silently getting ready for school, it feels like yesterday was a blissful moment frozen in time and the spell has now been cruelly broken.

He refuses to open his eyes until the count of thirty, and even then he watches Annabeth for a while, trying to soak her in. She really is beautiful, Percy thinks not for the first time. Still in sleep shorts and an old and ridiculously orange camp shirt, she glows. She radiates _home_. Percy decides that she is his favorite place. He hopes-he _hopes _with intensity-that will never change.

With her back turned, Annabeth murmurs loud enough for him to hear, "Enjoying the show, Jackson?"

He hums his contentedness, momentarily forgetting his anxiety. "I am, thank you for asking, but I don't believe I've paid for admission yet."

She turns with a twinkle in her eye to look him up and down. "Oh? And what would that be?"

Percy grins widely. "Well, it seems your rates have inflated quite a bit," He represses laughter at her raised eyebrow, "but I could always spare a ravishing kiss for the princess as payment."

Blowing her hair out of her face and putting a hand on her hip, she looks at him wryly. "Well I suppose if I am a _princess," _she only scoffs a little, "then it's really quite depressing if my inflated rates only get me a mere kiss from a peasant."

Percy, entirely unbothered by the very thinly veiled insult, sits up and swings his legs off the bed, making grabby hands for Annabeth. "Well? Are you not going to collect, fair maiden?"

The smile in her eyes takes any bite out of her words. "You really are pushing your luck, Jackson."

He kisses her firmly, pressing a hand on the small of her back and rubbing his thumb up and down on her shoulder blades where his other hand rests. The kiss deepens as one of her hands tugs his hair and angles his head to just the spot she wants.

They jump apart, and Percy barely manages to steady Annabeth by her elbow when they hear a series of three quick knocks on Annabeth's door. Frederick Chase's voice-attempting for stern-reaches them as he pokes his head through the door. With raised eyebrows-an expression Percy has seen on Annabeth many a time-he pins Percy with his grey eyes, just a tad more blue than Annabeth's. "Percy." He nods a cool greeting. "I hope you got a good night's sleep on the floor." Mr. Chase's eyes redirect pointedly at the floor where there is no evidence of blankets or pillows, and then shift-with the same pointed gaze-to where Percy is sitting. On Annabeth's bed. With rumpled sheets beneath him. And a radical case of bedhead.

But this is a routine Percy and the Chases have been through many times, even before he and his blonde beauty started dating. Although usually, Percy humors them by setting up bedding on the floor and sneaking into Annabeth's bed only after the lights have been flicked off-and Percy is convinced that karma moves furniture in the dark just so he can bruise his shins on them every time. Totally worth it.

So it offends no one when Percy grins and salutes Annabeth's father. "Of course, sir. Annabeth tried to convince me to join her on the bed, but I stayed strong."

Frederick rolls his eyes and hides his amused expression as he walks back down the hall. "Alright, Percy. Good to see you again! Good luck at the meet today!"

"Thanks, Mr. Chase!" Percy shouts back.

The thanks is genuine, but even the mention of the long day ahead makes Percy swallow hard.

Annabeth redirects Percy's attention when she grabs his hand and pulls him off the bed and into a tight embrace, before skipping out of the room and shouting over her shoulder, much like her father had moments ago. "Duty calls! Gotta go pick up the girls! See you soon, babe!"

As much as Percy loves the rare pet names that aren't insults, he only scowls after her and trudges down the stairs to start the short walk back to his home to prepare for the day ahead.

**:::::**

All day, Percy has had butterflies flapping violently-_yes_, butterflies can be violent-in his stomach...and not in the good way. Percy always gets nervous on the day of swim meets, and especially the first one of the season, but this time feels worse. He can't focus on anything, and he knows he'll pay for it later when all his notebooks come out blank, but really can't bring himself to care just yet.

So when classic film comes around, his knee is bobbing up and down at light speed and he has an arm wrapped around his stomach to make sure the butterflies don't break through his stomach lining and fly out...apparently nerves make him very morbid. And mildly obsessed with evil butterflies.

Since Leo and Percy have classes close to classic film the period before, they always get there before Annabeth. Today, Percy is thankful for the extra few minutes he has to _get it together, man!_

"Yo, Perce," Leo leans forward and jabs Percy's shoulder blade.

Jumping from the tenseness in his posture, Percy buries his inner turmoil and turns back to Leo. "Yeah?"

Leo stares at him for a moment with raised eyebrows. "Dude. You're freaking out. Like, hardcore."

His voice a little weaker than he would like, Percy scoffs. "Pfft, first of all, I'm fine. Just the usual pre-meet jitters. And second, no one says _hardcore _anymore."

Leo isn't buying Percy's "pre-meet jitters" excuse, but accepts the deflection. "Says the guy who just used _jitters _in a regular, everyday conversation."

Percy rolls his eyes, which makes his head ache, before a thought crosses his mind. He turns fully and gives his full attention to his friend. "Hey Leo, how are things at home?"

Leo leans back and crosses his arms, looking a little defeated. Resigned, he shrugs. "Same old. Went to Jason's yesterday. Piper was there. She was _not _happy to be interrupted." His lips grow into a devious smile. "Which, of course, made it so much more enjoyable."

Percy laughs, but addresses the real issue shortly before moving on. "You know they'll calm down again eventually, Leo-your parents will. They always do. But anyway, you know you've pretty much put a bolded 'Kick Me, Piper' sign on your back, right?"

"Of course I know. I'm not scared of her." Leo scoffs. Then he considers Percy for a moment before saying something halfway genuine. "You know, if Annabeth's not with me, you might be a pretty good second choice for her."

That may have been the nicest thing Leo has ever said to Percy.

**:::::**

At lunch, Percy is still having a hard time masking his overall...basket-case-ness. What he really wants to do is hide behind Annabeth, or maybe go throw up and then curl up in the fetal position, but instead he clenches his hands tightly on his lap and tries to stomach a few bites of his banana.

"Percy, you good, dude?" Jason looks at him seriously.

Percy laughs and hopes his friends can't hear the slightly-barely-there-basically-unnoticeable dose of hysteria in his voice. "Yeah, just a little nervous. First meet as captain, you know."

Annabeth shifts towards him slightly, and when she reaches for his hand, he is forced to uncurl his fingers from each other and try not to crush her hand with his. "How's your knee holding up?"

Piper narrows her gaze at Percy. "Your knee has been bothering you?"

When Percy first dislocated it, Piper had only lived here about three months. So when Percy collapsed on the doorstep of the Chase's home where Piper and Annabeth were hanging out, she was a little traumatized. Strangely though, it had only made her more protective and had bonded the two.

Honestly, the way it happened was more devastating for Percy than the physical damage, so he clung to Annabeth for a good while after the incident. But she couldn't always be there, so Percy spent a lot time with Piper, either at the Chase home waiting for Annabeth, or at Piper's own home.

Now a little uncomfortable under Piper's gaze, Percy looks anywhere but the eyes of his friends. "It's been a little sore, yeah, but I've been taking care of it, so I'm not worried." Percy ignores Annabeth's noise of disagreement. "And it's not a surprise with the extra workouts and stuff."

Mercifully, Frank takes the attention off Percy's injury. "Well, you guys know I get nervous before football games, and it helps to run through the plays in my mind. It's just kind of a simple, methodical task that makes me focus on something other than the nerves." Percy breathes a faint laugh when Frank seems to lose his train of thought. "So, uh, well...you could mentally run through techniques, or whatever you need to do when you swim your races."

Frank winces at the lameness of the tail end of the comment, but it allows Percy to release a small amount of tension as he joins the group in laughing good naturedly. Especially when Frank blushes and smiles sheepishly.

Then Hazel gives Frank a comforting side hug and the conversation turns to the complicated "Frazel" dynamic-Percy's friends are fond of ship names.

Percy tries to listen to the conversation, but only really follows bits and pieces of it. Still clinging to Annabeth's hand, Percy musters up a smile at the sight of Frank and Hazel both squirming at the attention. The two of them make an interesting pair. They obviously care about each other very much, showing hints of a romantic connection here and there-mostly through small touches followed by bright blushing and awkward avoidance of eye contact.

Percy enjoys watching their journey-even if he can't fully appreciate it at this moment with the angry butterflies trying to escape again. Both of them have yet to fully grow into their own skin, and Percy senses that they each know it. They enjoy each other's company and feel a kind of solace around each other as they find their confidence as individuals. They're going slow and that is perfect for them. Percy admires that, especially because they're flanked by Percy and Annabeth, and Jason and Piper.

Percy makes an embarrassingly high pitched noise when the bell signaling the end of lunch rings. Unfortunately, this does not go unnoticed by his friends, and he hears some snickering along with some genuine words of encouragement. Annabeth stands, pulling Percy up as well. She takes both of his hands and looks at him sternly. "Percy. You are an _amazing _swimmer." She moves one of her hands to his cheek and he leans into the soft touch. "And I love how you lead your team. It's actually kind of funny how much those boys look up to you. They believe in you. I do too."

Smiling softly now, she hugs him tightly, singing in his ear, "I love you Percy Jackson."

Percy laughs and buries his face in her hair for another breath before pulling back just enough to see her face. "That's my line." How she manages to make him smile at a time like this is beyond him.

"Get used to it Seaweed Brain, it's about to happen again," She laughs in return. When she pulls out of his embrace, Percy pouts and slouches childishly, causing Annabeth to laugh louder while walking backwards to her fifth period class. "What do you sayyyy?"

He has to admit, it's a pretty good imitation. "I love you too, Annabee!" He intentionally shouts it louder than he needs to, declaring it the universe just as much as he is to her.

**:::::**

Miraculously, Percy's Annabeth-induced high lasts all the way until ten minutes before the meet is actually going to start. It's not a _huge_ deal that he's not at the pool yet, because Percy's first race is a freestyle a little further into the meet.

The big deal is that Percy is currently staring at a toilet bowl, willing himself not to lose the meager lunch he had eaten.

He loses that battle.

His stomach continues to convulse and heave even after all the contents of his stomach have been emptied. He'll relax for a minute and think he's done, until the anxiety hits him in the face like a sledge hammer...or maybe it hits him more like a vicious flock of butterflies, but he has never experienced either situation, so he can't be sure.

All he really knows is that he is panicking. Hardcore. And he feels no shame about using that word either.

Percy can feel himself trembling, feel his body heating up and his breaths becoming shallower. He's scared. It's awful to admit to himself, but he isn't sure what's happening to him and he's hardly in control of his body and it _scares _him.

Eventually, Percy draws on his athletic training and shoves his head between his knees until the dark spots disappear. Once he feels a little more in control, he sits in the stall until the count of thirty, hands laced on top of his head.

When he finally stumbles out, he clings to the first sink he can reach and tries not to let himself panic about what had just happened. _How funny, _he thinks, _I'm panicking about panicking._

Nope, nope, nope. The malevolent butterflies do _not _think that is funny.

For the fiftieth time that day, Percy flinches, hearing someone clear their throat. He feels a terrifying weight settle on his shoulders. Percy can_not _let anyone see him like this.

Thought it really is stupid of him-the jig was up the minute whoever it was laid eyes on his still trembling form-Percy straightens and plasters an imitation of a grin on his face, turning slowly to face the intruder.

"Uh, hi, Percy."

It's Alex Freaking Perry.

Percy doesn't know whether to be relieved that it's not a Varsity teammate or one of his friends-or anyone who knows him beyond one conversation, frankly-or humiliated that it was _Alex Freaking Perry, _the kid who had looked at him like he had _hung the moon_ just last week.

With that stupid grin still carved onto his face, Percy chokes out, "Hey Alex." He tries to clear away the pathetic hoarseness with little success. "You here to watch the meet?"

Alex just stares at Percy. And stares. Then cocks his head. And stares.

Percy is afraid to do anything but curse the vicious butterflies wreaking havoc on his insides.

Then the beanpole opens his mouth. "I won't tell."

Percy stops breathing and his eyebrows knit together.

"I mean, I won't tell about your panic attack."

Percy can only blink while the freaking stick bug stares at him for another confusing moment before walking past him into a stall.

Percy is thankful he has practiced washing his hands and rinsing his face by doing it every day for like, ever, because if he hadn't-if he hadn't had a mindless task to focus on-Percy thinks he would have lost it.

If he hasn't already, that is.

**:::::**

When he finally gets to the pool, Coach B is not happy. Percy purposely avoids looking to the stands, where he knows his friends will be sitting. Usually at this time, Percy would be hyping up the team, something he'd done even before becoming captain. And now that he _is _captain...well, he's off to a bad start.

"Jackson, where have you been?" Coach demands in that controlled way he has.

Swallowing hard and slowly melting into his normal competition mentality-putting on his game face, essentially-Percy looks his coach square in the eyes. "I'm sorry Coach Brock, it won't happen again."

And as Jared Brock looks over his best swimmer and admittedly one of his favorite students, he grants the boy mercy. Jared is not an idiot. The kid isn't okay, and Jared will have to say something if it doesn't improve. Betraying none of this, he dismisses Percy with a short, "I trust that it won't."

Breathing a slight sigh of relief, Percy only has a minute to roll his shoulders and fully get focussed, before he's approached by a few of his teammates. Byron, a Junior, speaks first. "Dude, Coach was totally freaking out."

_Sounds all too familiar, _Percy thinks. Shaking his head with a smirk, he retorts, "Come on Ronnie," the younger boy rolls his eyes at the name his teammates had heard his mom call him once, "you know you're the one who was terrified to go out there without your fearless leader."

Then Parker, who gets sent to the principal's office at least twice every semester, puts a heavy hand on Percy's shoulder. "You gotta share your playbook, man. How do you manage to get off the hook with Coach every time?" He grins. "Help a brother out, yeah?"

Scoffing, but grinning, Percy has buried the bathroom incident so far down that he barely even remembers it. "First of all, I'm rarely ever _on _the hook. And besides, no one can recreate the Jackson charm, _brother._"

No more comments are exchanged and they all quiet down and get serious as the meet starts. They cheer on their teammates until their voices are hoarse, and reassurances and congratulations are spoken. When Percy strips his sweatpants and matching team sweatshirt-he refuses to call it a sweatsuit-for his races, he can hear Jason's distinctly piercing whistle and a few whoops from the girls. He flashes them a quick grin and a wink from his starting marks, but the moment the race begins, it's all him and the water.

**:::::**

Percy wins all his races, even the relays, contributing to an overall team win. His teammates congratulate him and he returns the favor, but he starts to feel his bones get heavy pretty quickly. He feels unusually drained. Percy mechanically smiles, fist bumps, and slaps backs, celebrating a team win for the first meet of the season. It's a good omen, they say.

After he comes out of the locker rooms, hair still wet, Percy's friends find him and he's greeted by hugs that make him feel guilty for some reason

Percy hopes that none of them notice anything off, so he offers no explanation for his tardiness to the meet. Regardless, they know him well enough to recognize that pushing him right now would only make him push back harder. Only, he's not sure if that makes him happy or sad.

He feels a hand on his shoulder and manages to smile a little dimly at Hazel. "Percy, we want to take you out for pizza or something to celebrate!"

Her face is bright and excited and Percy wants to say yes, but when he hesitates just a little too long, Annabeth can tell he's about to bail. She hooks her arm through one of his arms that's shoving his hands into his pockets. "Maybe we could stop by your mom's instead and head over to Piper's for a quiet night. All of us. How does that sound?" She asks, her gaze probing.

Percy decides it has to make him feel better to be around people who love him. His mouth stretches into a cheesy grin. "As long as you're with me, anything sounds like a dream."

That shocks a laugh out of Annabeth, and their friends all moan and groan as Percy dramatically drops his bags to dip Annabeth and kiss her soundly. After a rather steamy moment or two, he rights her and pecks one last kiss on her lips with a smack. Cheerily, Percy turns back to his friends. "Alright, I'm ready now."

Piper tries to muffle laughter as she looks at Hazel, who is blushing furiously and hiding behind Frank. "I think Percabeth has officially scarred Hazel with no hopes of repair."

"Oh shush," Annabeth chides, looking mildly embarrassed herself.

She leads Percy and Piper to her car and they arrange themselves in their usual post-school carpooling seats.

When they're all settled, Percy sees Annabeth sneak a glance at him in the rearview mirror and she looks relieved. It's a look he obviously wasn't supposed to see, but he doesn't back down. She needs to see that he appreciates how much she cares. Locking soft eyes with her, he sings gently, "I love you, Annabee."

Piper, supportive friend that she is, rests her elbows on the center console and gazes at Annabeth with a dreamy look on her face-the one she uses when watching Nicholas Sparks movies. "And what do you sayyyy?"

Annabeth laughs, but otherwise ignores Piper and turns around to face Percy, completing the ritual in a singsong voice. "I love you too, Seaweed Brain."

After Annabeth squeezes his hand and starts the car, Piper speaks up again. "You guys really do make me wanna barf, but even I have to admit, you have your moments of cuteness."

Percy snorts. "Honey, every moment is cute."

Annabeth rolls her eyes, but glances at Piper and must see something in her facial expression. Seriously, she asks, "How are you and Jason doing?"

Now Percy can see Piper shrug. "Good, like normal. Great, even."

Percy's eyebrows furrow as he stares at one of his best friends. Annabeth nods as if she expected the answer. "But you feel like there's no progression."

Piper sighs. "Yeah. I really can't complain, but I just...I see you two," she shoots a small smile at Percy before returning her gaze to Annabeth, "and it's like you've got it all figured out. There's so much _depth _there." Her smile grows. "To be honest, I'd be pretty surprised if you don't get married and have ridiculously cute, curly haired babies."

Annabeth has a weird expression on her face, and Percy keeps getting more and more confused by the conversation. Annabeth's voice is soft when she asks, "Have you thought about what you're going to do after graduation?"

"No." The answer is short and matter-of-fact.

"In my opinion...you have time, Piper. It's the middle of September-it's not like we're about to don our caps and gowns tomorrow. But, if it's interfering with your relationship...I think it's worth bringing up."

Piper hums thoughtfully, staring out the window as they approach Percy's street. "Yeah. I guess I just don't want to mess up a good thing if I can help it." She looks at Annabeth. "We all know it's not exactly going to be a casual conversation, whenever it happens."

Percy frowns as thoughts that he has desperately repressed come to the surface. He rubs his chest absentmindedly in the hopes of easing the ache that has settled there. He and Annabeth have only ever talked about life after high school in hypotheticals.

When Annabeth parks by the curb in front of Percy's house-again, technically the house _in front _of Percy's house-Jason, Frank, Hazel, and Leo are already standing around, waiting for Annabeth and company.

Annabeth turns off the car, but before any of them can get out, she reaches over to rub Piper's back and smiles wryly. "We're growing up, Pipes, stuff like this is unavoidable. We've all got a lot to figure out before Spring comes. And besides, we're not all going to fall off the face of the Earth. Just Facebook me or something if you need to."

Piper laughs, and the tension breaks, though Percy still doesn't quite understand what just happened. Getting out of the car, he says through a big yawn, "Actually, I'd prefer it if you would tweet me, just for future reference."

Jason and the others walk over to meet them, and Leo looks at Percy weirdly. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe I just heard Michael Phelps over here," he nods at Percy for emphasis, "say that he likes pretty tweed furniture as his preference."

Rolling his eyes, Percy waits for his yawn to finish this time before speaking. Shrugging, "Sometimes a guy's just gotta get if off his chest when he wants some nice furniture."

The others laugh and roll their eyes as they start down the driveway to the Jackson home. Percy, however, slumps his shoulders and stares accusingly at his bags for a pitiful moment. _My bags are so heavy...and the driveway is so long…_

Percy only realizes Annabeth has waited for him when she slings his swim bag over her shoulder and shakes her head at him. "Just a few more steps, Babe. I believe in you."

When they _finally _reach the door, Percy pushes it open, only to hear a high pitched yelp. Opening the door more carefully this time, he sees Frank now standing a safe distance away with a red face while the others laugh at the surprised noise he made.

Percy can only mumble a, "Sorry, Bro," before his eyes lock on an available patch of space on the floor, promptly flopping down on it.

His mother laughs at him. "Percy, dear, I would offer you a seat, but I had a long day of work, and our house is rather cramped at the moment."

And it is. It's not a house made for eight people to lounge in. Percy would never make his mother stand or sit on the ground, but he groans loudly, "And _I _had a long day embarrassing the Ares High School swim team." He finally allows a self satisfied grin to come over his face, enjoying the victory genuinely...though the effect might be lost on the others, seeing as his face is smushed against the floor.

Sally makes a confused noise, and Annabeth provides an answer to her eloquently articulated question. "Private school. They had a weird thing for Greek mythology."

"Ah, I see. Percy, how was the meet?" She sounds more amused than curious.

"Uh, good." He tries not to think about any events prior to the meet.

Sally huffs. "Your lovely friends told me as much." Out of the corner of his eye, he sees her wave a hand. "I suppose that's most I'll get out of you tonight, so I'll let your friends deal with you now. I've already packed a night bag for you, so shoo! My show is on!"

Percy's friends laugh with his mother while he smiles tiredly at her antics. Then he feels a sharp pain in his ribs and his eyes snap open. He rolls over grumpily and stares up at Leo incredulously. "Did you just kick me?"

He smirks, looking very satisfied. "Do you need Frank to piggyback you to Piper's, Mr. Olympic Gold?"

When Leo reaches out a hand to help him up, Percy smacks it away and heaves himself up, wincing when his spine cracks in at least three different places.

Jason snorts. "When did you become such an old man, Jackson?"

Frank steadies him when he's finally upright, and Percy crooks an accusing finger at Leo. "Since _that one _came into my life."

They laugh, and Percy is ushered out the door, Annabeth slipping an arm around his waist and being sure to tighten her grip when Percy stumbles with half lidded eyes. He does it only partly to get closer to Annabeth.

As they're approaching the front door-mercifully-Percy fully wraps his arms around the beautiful grey eyed girl who sticks by him through it all. "I love you, Annabee."

And Percy doesn't complain when she goes off script to press herself against him and wrap her arms around his neck with eyes that say it all. Though in all honesty, he only sees them for a moment before they're locked at the lips.

Graciously, their friends leave them be for a few minutes until Annabeth recognizes that Percy can barely stand anymore. Laughing softly at him, she guides the green-eyed boy-whose title of "boyfriend" is really quite insufficient, in her opinion-through the front door and into the living room of Piper's impressive home.

When Percy sees that all the couch seats are taken again, he has officially run out of patience. "One of you, up." When they look at him with unimpressed expressions, he presses forward, scowling. "We all know I'm just going to get more grumpy if no one can lower themselves enough to humor me this one time."

Finally, shaking his head, Frank takes pity on him, sighing and lowering his large stature into a lumpy bean bag chair that he has to drag closer just to be included in the conversation.

Once Percy is no longer fully upright, he sighs contentedly. "Thanks, Buddy. I can always count on you."

Annabeth raises her eyebrows at a half lidded Percy. "And what am I supposed to do?"

Percy considers this, then shoves Piper further into Jason so that Annabeth can fit in between them.

"Hey!" Comes Piper's indignant yelp, followed by a pained grunt from Jason as her elbow digs into his ribs.

When Annabeth sits down demurely as though Jason and Piper had said nothing, Piper settles for a glare. "You're lucky I love you both."

The conversation continues-at least, Percy is pretty sure that's what happens-and a movie might have been turned on at some point, but he had long since been dead to the world by then.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Percy is awoken by an insistent throbbing in his bad knee. He has to take a few deep breaths before surveying the situation.

When he opens his eyes to slits and sees Piper's living room, he vaguely remembers dropping off into dreamland on the couch soon after plopping down beside Annabeth. The sound of snoring reaches his ears and remembers with a small smile that Piper snores like an old man who gets kicked by his wife repeatedly in the middle of the night so she can actually get some sleep. She-Piper-and his other five friends are sprawled across the floor in sleeping bags or swaddled in blankets, Leo inhabiting the other couch, and it's a familiar sight that provides some comfort through the pain. Percy is actually lying on the couch he had been sitting on hours before. He knows he must have been half sleeping on Annabeth, so he assumes she lowered him fully onto the cushions and threw the light blanket over him.

When he raises himself up on his elbows, Percy sees that it's starting to get light outside. _It's too early for this, _he thinks to himself. _Maybe if I just close my eyes again…_

And he gives it a valiant effort...for about three minutes before he concedes to wakefulness. Sitting up groggily, he presses his lips together as he shifts his legs to place them on the ground. Percy refuses to look at his injury, because that just makes the pain all the more real. That, and he doesn't want to know exactly what it looks like at this moment.

Percy has been warned numerous times that he's at risk of fluid buildup on his knee. The root cause is the repeated dislocation of the joint, but with that already taken into account, fluid can also gather because of overuse.

Though Percy has dislocated his knee on two occasions after the original injury occurred, he has actually never had substantial enough buildup to warrant medical attention. He considers himself very lucky and isn't about to jinx it now.

After weighing the pros and cons of getting up to get ice, Percy decides he needs _something _to occupy his time. He allows himself thirty seconds of time dedicated to mental preparation, and then gingerly picks himself up.

_Okay, _he thinks. _It's not too stiff. That's good. I'll just try not to put too much weight on it...just to give it a break until I can get ice on it and then it'll be fine._

It's slow going, but eventually he reaches the end of the hall where the kitchen is just around the corner. He is startled when he looks up and sees the light on. A tad bit creeped out, Percy wishes he had a baseball bat right about now-he also wishes he had some experience in baseball, but that's not important.

Taking careful steps, he creeps around the corner and starts to let out an embarrassing squeak when a cold hand slaps over his mouth to muffle the noise.

"Percy!" Hazel hisses. "Don't wake the others up!"

Hazel retracts her hand and looks at him with her lips rolled into her mouth nervously. Confused, and still not entirely functional after his deep sleep, his voice comes out deep and gravelly. "Wha...but-Hazel...how long have you…?" Then with helplessly wide eyes, he blurts out, "Ice?"

Looking tired, Hazel smiles, ignoring his senseless babbling, and walks to the island in the middle of the kitchen. She pulls out a stool to sit on and rests her elbows on the counter. When her smile grows more and more amused, Percy realizes his mouth has been open and he snaps it shut. When he walks toward the stool next to Hazel, he doesn't even attempt to hide the limp...though he pitifully hopes she doesn't notice.

Yup. The hope was just as pitiful as he thought. Her eyes narrow in on his left knee, and he cuts her off not unkindly. "I know. I came in here for some ice because it was aching, but I really don't want to think about it yet."

Hazel wants to argue, but she sees his innocent eyes and notice how tired he looks. She notices that he has lost some weight as well. Enough that she can see it in his face, and it worries her. Hazel can't _not _see it after what they talked about last night after Percy fell asleep. She wants desperately to help him just speak, but Percy is very stubborn, not unlike Annabeth actually, and he puts a lot of pressure on himself. It's natural for Annabeth to want to get right to the core of the issue as quickly as possible to deal with it, but with Percy...things aren't so black and white-the blonde said as much last night.

Very unsure as to whether or not her actions were right or wrong, Hazel decides to respect Percy's wishes to avoid the hard topics for now. Though she does commit to herself that she'll watch him closer from now on.

After a long moment, Percy realizes that he really shouldn't just stand there like an idiot, but he doesn't want to attempt to climb up on the tall stool. Besides, if he sat there, he wouldn't be able to stretch out or elevate his leg. Yeah. That's why he can't sit there.

"Um, do you want to sit in the dining room and talk?"

When she nods, he goes to the freezer to search for an ice pack, but Hazel gives Percy a gentle push toward the dining room. She looks sternly at him. "I've got it, Perce. If I leave you to do it, I'll be waiting in there 'til morning before you finally amble in, Old Man."

Laughing mostly to himself, Percy concedes and does, admittedly, walk a little slow. By the time he enters the dining room that's actually rarely used, Hazel is skipping in right behind him looking tiredly smug.

Wanting to retain the lightness in her, Percy asks about Frank, which continues into conversations about everything and nothing for far too long. When the sun is just shy of fully risen, Percy interrupts Hazel and offers, "You can go sleep for another hour or two before the herd comes trampling for food."

"No," her smile is sad now. "Got too much on my mind."

And because Percy understands all too well, he doesn't ask about it directly. But he does press another point. One that actually makes him return her sad smile. "I'm really sorry I haven't had a chance to talk to Nico recently. I miss that little ball of sunshine and rainbows."

Hazel smiles and laughs, but it's a little tight. "He's...good, I think. Mom actually...well she's been gone for a couple days now, and as much as I try to hide it from him, Nico and I both know she's relapsed."

Percy leans back in shock, and his eyes turned pained in sympathy for one of the sweetest people he knows. "Hazel, why didn't you say anything? Have you heard from her? Do you know when she's coming back?"

Hazel shakes her head. "I did speak to Frank about it a little, actually. He's a good listener. He comes over to keep Nico and I company sometimes." She snorts. "Nico doesn't really like Frank, and I'm pretty sure Nico scares Frank to death, but secretly the little squirt likes having another person at home."

"Little squirt?" Percy raises his eyebrows.

Hazel huffs. "He's my little brother! So what if he's a Freshman now and a _few _inches taller than me? I am entitled via the Big Sister Handbook to call him a squirt as long as I live."

A few inches? Try six. But Percy humors her and redirects the conversation just slightly. "And your mom?"

Hazel looks out the window to the right of them, seeming to be deep in thought. "I don't think it's as bad as before...I honestly think she's just a little afraid to face us after what she's done." Hazel looks at Percy and allows him to see her vulnerability. "It's just hard without Bianca. She was always there for us when Mom wasn't."

Percy doesn't hesitate to pull her into a hug, and kisses her forehead in a brotherly gesture before relaxing back in his chair and pulling the ice pack off his leg. It had long since melted. "Well, I'll be sure to find Nico soon and bring some sunshine and rainbows back to his life." Percy sighs dramatically. "What would he ever do without me?"

And that's why, when four groggy teens stumble to where they hear voices, they find Percy and Hazel laughing in the dining room.

Annabeth is the first to process what's going on. "What are you doing?"

Percy grins widely at her bedhead, curls askew and flattened on one side. "It's called 'enjoying each other's company', Annabeth. We even do it sometimes."

Frank and Piper snicker, but Jason still looks half asleep. "Alright, who's cooking breakfast?" Piper claps her hands together and cuts right to the chase.

Annabeth comes to sit in the chair Percy had pulled out for her and plants a kiss on his cheek for his efforts. "As long as it's blue, I'm a happy guy," Percy grins.

As the others moan at Percy's ridiculous obsession with blue food, Hazel notices the absence of one curly haired troublemaker. "Hey, where's Leo?"

This seems to wake Jason up and he barks a laugh. "Asleep. Where else?"

Frank hums his agreement. "You girls have no idea what we have to go through in the morning. Leo is very...disagreeable when he's sleepy."

One corner of Annabeth's lips quirk up in an oddly subdued smile. "I'm sure he'll come running when he smells breakfast."

Before he can think on it much longer, Piper interjects. "_Speaking_ of breakfast, I nominate...Frank and Hazel for cooking duty!" Her smile is devilish, and it only grows when Frank and Hazel blush, but the two certainly don't complain as they scurry to the kitchen.


	7. Chapter 6

**Since the last chapter was short (and late), here's a surprise treat!**

Chapter 6

Shortly after they eat breakfast, Percy pops the bubble of contentedness that had formed. Scratching the back of his neck, he regretfully informs them, "I actually have to be at work in an hour."

This elicits groans and overall negative reactions.

"Dude! It's our friend day today!"

"Percyyy, I wanted to watch a movie…"

"Just ditch!"

Percy can sense a "ditch work" chant coming on, so he nips it in the bud. "I appreciate the love, but duty calls. Plus, I know I'm the life of the party and all, but I Frank can be my substitute for now. You don't all have to leave because I'm leaving."

Leo is very indignant. "Hey! If anyone is the life of the party it's me, am I right, guys?"

Blatantly ignoring this, Piper whines, "It's just not the same without everyone."

Percy will admit to himself that it changes the dynamic whenever any one of them is absent, but after they settle in, it won't be hard to start the fun back up. Jason, however, has another complaint to voice. "And Annabeth is going to be all whiny and more irritable than normal after you leave."

"I will not!"

Frank looks at Annabeth carefully. "Well, you do sort of get...more sarcastic when Percy is here and then leaves."

Annabeth gapes at Frank. "What? I do not! Percy has no bearing over my mood." Now she's crossing her arms defiantly and Percy can't help but think it's a little cute.

Piper is mildly sympathetic with a pretty obvious layer of amusement on top. "Sweetheart, I get that it's the twenty-first century and we're all strong, independent women, but there's no shame in being codependent with your man. And it's worse now that he has to work more often to provide for his family."

Piper is obviously just joking, but Annabeth sits up abruptly and straightens her shirt, speaking tersely. "My _man, _is a very respectable, empathetic, hard worker, and I value him for those things, but I do not _depend _on him financially, emotionally, or otherwise. I am a whole, independent being all on my own."

Percy exaggerates a gasp. "You _value _me? As if I am an _object_? Do you only want me to up your social standing?"

By this point, Annabeth is entirely fed up with being ganged up on, and seethes...but in a poised way. "I believe this is a conversation for another day, _my man_. A day when we do _not _have an audience."

Then Leo has to go and make things _so _much worse. "Is that code for make up se-"

"_SO_," Jason interrupts loudly, before anyone can get throttled, "I vote that we go swim at the pool and pretend to drown so that Percy can jump in with us. Yay or nay?"

"Yay."

"Yes. Agreed."

"I vote in the affirmative."

"Wait so _are they_ or are they _not_ going to-"

Leo gets multiple pillows to the face for that.

**:::::**

Luckily, Annabeth and Piper are able to grab their own swimsuits, Piper lends an extra to Hazel, and of course, Percy can run around the corner to grab his things in a manner of minutes. Jason, Leo, and Frank head home to get whatever they need before meeting the girls and Percy at the rec center.

As Annabeth's carload exits the vehicle in the rec center parking lot, Hazel becomes thoughtful. "Hey, Percy, what do you actually _do _at work?"

Starting across the lot, Percy furrows his brows at Hazel. "Uh, I'm a lifeguard. I...guard lives, I guess."

Hazel frowns, but Piper seems to know what she's trying to ask. Unperturbed by Percy's rather uninformative answer, she nudges his arm a little as they walk. "Yeah, Percy, we never actually ask about your job," She muses. "Which is maybe a little messed up since you spend so much time here…"

Percy chuckles at her, holding the door open for the girls. Once all four of them are inside, Percy reassures Hazel and Piper. "It's all good. I don't really do anything exciting. Occasionally, I do have to jump in and save some kid from drowning, but more often than not, it's not, like, _real_ drowning-the kid just gets scared and either stops swimming or starts thrashing uselessly. But yeah, other than that, I'm pretty much that annoying guy who yells at people to stop running or nag the kids to stop getting in the way of the old ladies' water yoga class, or whatever they call it."

Piper snorts, Hazel giggles, and Annabeth looks at Percy slyly. "How could you forget the most important part of your job?"

He's wary now. Slowly, he asks, "And what's that?"

"Entertaining middle aged women of course. I mean, think about the last time they saw abdominal muscles that aren't hidden behind beer bellies."

Percy groans and is forced to tell Piper and Hazel about the lovely mother who was determined to get him to take his shirt off last week. "And _no, _I did not take off my shirt, because I told her I didn't want to get sunburnt," he finishes.

"And what did she say to that?"

Percy shifts uncomfortably. He was hoping no one would ask about this part. "Well, she perked up when I said that and asked if I would rub sunscreen on her back." He shivers. "It was...hairy."

Just as Percy is finishing his story, the rest of the gang arrives, towels in hand. Frank looks mildly disturbed when he asks, "Do I want to know what was hairy?"

The three girls start to laugh, and Piper even begins to recount the story herself, but Percy decides he has to take matters into his own hands. He claps for emphasis. "_Oh, _would you look at the time, I've gotta go clock in!"

Without another word, Percy scurries over to reception, even though he can hear his friends lounging on the couches and laughing still. Approaching the counter, he sees that Angela, the nice, college-aged girl from a few days ago is working again. "Hey, Angela," he nods cheerily. "How are you?"

The dark haired girl looks up from whatever she was doing on the computer and smiles up at him. "Hey Percy, I'm doing alright. It's been awhile, huh?" She laughs.

Percy shakes his head with exasperation not aimed at Angela. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Mr. D is a slave driver, no doubt about it."

Angela giggles behind her hand. "You're a cutie pie, Percy. I'll clock you in."

Percy rolls his eyes a little at the pet name. He's not concerned at all because he knows it's not flirting and that Angela treats everyone the same way. Actually, he doesn't know if he's seen her get mad at anyone before...and she's a _receptionist. _After a few taps on the keyboard, Angela turns back to him. "Alright, hun, you're all set for now, but I do think Mr. D wanted to speak with you for a moment before you head out to the pool."

That startles Percy a bit, and after unfreezing himself, he leans his forearms on the counter and bends his head low. Quietly, he asks her, "Do you know what it's about?"

Angela shakes her head sympathetically, and puts a hand on his. "I have no idea, but I'm sure it'll be fine, sugar." She tries for a joke, but it still looks more like she's sorry for him than anything else. "Besides, Mr. D called me Annie Lennox the other day. If you did something wrong, the odds are that it's already long forgotten."

Sighing a laugh, Percy straightens and gives her a genuine smile of thanks. "Alright, well, I guess I'd better head back to his office then. Thanks Angela."

Before he steps away, Angela stands, leaning over to peck his cheek in a maternal gesture. "You're a doll, Percy Jackson."

Percy laughs and lets her sunshiney attitude brighten his mood. When he walks over to tell his friends he'll be back out in a few minutes, Leo is staring at him with a smirk. "You'd better watch your back Jackson. The second Annabeth gets tired of your incessant flirting, I'm gonna swoop in and I'm not gonna let go."

Mood sufficiently darkened again, Percy huffs and squeezes in between Annabeth and the arm of the chair she's perched on. It's really only meant for one person, but Annabeth will just have to deal with it. "I was not _flirting. _If Angela," he nods at the reception desk, "was a few decades older, I'd wish she was my grandma."

Jason looks thoughtful. "Yeah, I can only think of one person who has ever called me 'doll' and it was my eighty year old grandma."

Percy points at Jason. "Thank you. You're a true friend, J."

Annabeth then turns and pinches one of Percy's cheeks between her thumb and forefinger. "I can't blame her though. You are a cutie pie."

Percy can hear snickering and muffled laughter. "Anna_beeeeth," _he whines in her face. "I'm a manly man. I'm about to go out there and save lives-and I have abs!"

Annabeth hides a laugh behind her hand, but it becomes exponentially less hidden when Piper snorts, "It's not like you're a firefighter, Percy. You work at the city pool. Were you not just telling us that the most important part of your job is rubbing sunscreen on the backs of hairy ladies?"

Grinning fondly, Frank contributes, "If only my grandma was here…"

Percy splutters incoherently and the rest of them make noises of mild disgust. Abruptly standing, Percy recovers, trying to think of anything but Frank's apparently hairy grandmother. "Okay, on that note, I actually came over here to let you know that I have to speak to Mr. D for another minute or so. You guys are welcome to jump in the pool."

Seeing that Percy is actually mildly concerned about this meeting, Annabeth slaps a hand over Leo's mouth to prevent any more taunts from escaping his mouth. "Okay, we'll be out there. Good luck, Babe!"

Percy grins victoriously when Leo scowls, both at Annabeth's silent reprimand and the pet name she used on Percy. Feeling very pleased with himself now, Percy pulls Annabeth out of her seat and wraps her arms around his neck. Holding them there, he asks innocently, "Can I get a good luck kiss?"

Annabeth stares at him with a raised eyebrow for a moment, so Percy meets her halfway by puckering his lips like a child and moving slightly closer. Annabeth sighs, relenting. "Alright, you can have a good luck kiss."

Percy smiles widely and awaits his promised kiss...which is planted on his cheek. Rearing back slightly, Percy can only stare as Annabeth and his friends walk out the door, laughing amongst themselves. Just before Annabeth is out of sight, she yells back, "You'll get the real reward when you come back!"

_Well, alright then._

**:::::**

"Ah, Pericles, good to see you again."

_Well, _Percy thinks, _Mr. D is nothing if not consistent. Consistently _wrong, _that is._

He clears his throat and tries to put on his game face for his boss. "You too, Mr. D. I just checked in with Angela and she let me know you wanted to speak to me before my shift."

Percy's boss leans back in his squeaky old rolly chair and clicks some buttons on his keyboard. Percy is pretty sure the monitor is off, but this is the guy who writes the checks, so he doesn't question anything. Mr. D steeples his fingers and looks pensive. "Yes, yes I do."

It's silent for a few painful moments after that. When he feels that he can fidget no longer without exploding, Percy speaks up. "What would you like to speak to me about, sir?"

Mr. D waves an absent minded hand. "No need to keep up pretenses, boy, I am not british and therefore I cannot be knighted. _Therefore _I am not a 'sir'. Not like Elroy Johnson is."

Percy stares at Mr. D and wonders if the man has finally lost his mind. Or maybe if he keeps something stronger than wine in those desk drawers.

A moment later, Percy has to admit that it is _extremely _relieving when he figures out that Mr. D isn't actually crazy. Though it surprises Percy that the oblivious man would know anything about pop culture. "You mean Sir Elton John, right?"

Mr. D waves a hand again, merely swiveling in his chair to gaze through the window behind him. Percy's view of anything outside is mostly obscured, but as far as he knows, Mr. D could be looking at a brick wall and be entirely entertained. "Yes, him. _Jenny and the Bets_ is such a good song" The words are murmured. "_But," _Percy jerks back in surprise when his boss whips around in his chair and looks directly at Percy. "That is not what we are here to talk about."

Now Percy starts sweating, and he nods in silent acknowledgement. Mr. D continues, "We have received a complaint from a mother who often swims at our pool. She claims that you have been sleeping at your post, Preston. This is a serious accusation. What do you have to say about it?"

Percy swallows hard as he leans back in his seat, as if to prepare to weather a storm. He frantically wracks his brain to assess the validity of the claims against him. He _has _been tired lately, and it does get quiet at the pool on occasion...but he can't think of a time when he would have actually _fallen asleep. _As much as work has become a drag recently, he takes it very seriously. Generally, Percy gives anything he does his best effort.

Trying to sound calm and confident, he replies. "I respect the opinion of those who I serve at work...but I can't say I agree with the complaint."

There. That was professional, right? Still, Percy's heart pounds against his chest, and he starts to feel just a slight beating of wings forming in his gut. It starts to feel hot in the small office, and Percy wills himself to keep it together. He refuses to even consider the thought of losing his job.

Mr. D stares into Percy's eyes piercingly, and Percy thinks this is the most lucid he has ever seen the man. It's not encouraging. "Perry. You have been taking a lot of shifts lately. This is true, yes?"

Percy controls his voice when he says honestly, "Yes."

"And you are in school as well, correct."

"Yes." _Crap. _Maybe he has closed his eyes for a moment or two, but there's no way he ever actually started a REM cycle.

Mr. D has not taken his eyes off Percy, but the stare relaxes slightly as he cocks his head curiously. "How old are you? Twelve? Fourteen?"

Percy blinks. The conversation has certainly taken an unexpected turn. "No, sir. Seventeen."

Humming thoughtfully, Percy's boss leans back in his chair. "Seventeen year-olds need sleep, do they not?"

_This is painful. _"Yes, sir, but I care very much for the safety of the swimmers."

"Okay, Patrick, this is what we will do. You are going to go through the process of renewing your lifeguarding certification, and your number of shifts will be cut in half until then." Mr. D's face is blank as he continues. "I may not be so lenient the next time I hear complaints about you."

Percy shakes his head repeatedly and clasps his hands in his lap tightly. "There will be no more complaints, Mr. D."

Carelessly, Mr. D flicks his fingers in an obvious dismissal coupled with the words, "I trust that it won't."

Even after the man returns to clacking his keyboard mindlessly, Percy sits in that ugly, uncomfortable chair and lets no breath into his lungs. _I trust that it won't. _The exact words Percy's swim coach had said to him just yesterday. It felt like years ago that the swim meet had happened, but now it's vivid in his brain. He _has _to do better. There are people that depend on him-people that _trust _him to meet certain standards, and he has to stop letting them down.

Percy's body finally forces chest to expand with an intake of air, and he rises out of his chair ever so slowly, to reduce the black dots creeping in from the corners of his eyes.

He then spends the next few minutes hiding in the corner of the locker room, trying to breathe.


End file.
